|
Home
| Previous |
Next |
lftd05
Mar.04.05: Light for the Day - "Joy in the Lord"
Cheerfulness oils the machinery of life.
-- Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
-- Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.
-- Philippians 4:4
Always be full of joy in the Lord.
I say it again—rejoice!
----------------
-- Galatians 5:22,23
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us:
Love, Joy, Peace,
Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness,
23 Gentleness and Self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
--- L.A.B. ---
Gal 5:22,23 - The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control — we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help. If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our life to His (see
John 15:4, 5). We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law — to love God and our neighbors. Which of these qualities do you want the Spirit to produce in you?
Because the God who sent the law also sent the Spirit, the by-products of the Spirit-filled life are in perfect harmony with the intent of God’s law.
A person who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit fulfills the law far better than a person who observes the rituals but has little love in his or her heart.
-- John 15:4,5
4 Remain
in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by
itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you
remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are
the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
------------------------
-- Psalms 16:8-11
8 I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.
9 No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts His praises! My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your godly one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.
--- L.A.B. ---
Ps 16:8 - By saying that he “will not be shaken,” David was talking about the unique sense of security felt by believers.
God does not exempt believers from the day-to-day circumstances of life. Believers and unbelievers alike experience pain, trouble, and failure at times
(Matthew 5:45). Unbelievers have a sense of hopelessness about life and confusion over their true purpose on earth. Those who seek God, however, can move ahead,
confident in knowing what is right in God’s eyes. They know that God will keep them from straying off His chosen path.
Ps 16:9 - David’s heart was glad—he had found the secret to joy. True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but
joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within
us. As we contemplate His daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand the future He has for us, we will experience joy.
Don’t base your life on circumstances, but on God.
Ps 16:10 - David stated confidently that God would not leave him in the grave.
Many people fear death because they can neither control nor understand it.
As believers, we can be assured that God will not forget us when we die. He will bring us to life again to live with Him forever. This provides real security.
-- Matthew 5:45
That you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
---------------------------
-- Psalms 19:8
The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life.
--- L.A.B. ---
Ps 19:8 - When we think of the law, we often think of something that keeps us from having fun. But here we see the opposite:
God’s laws revive us, make us wise, bring joy to the heart, give insight, warn us, and reward us. God’s laws are guidelines and lights for our path, rather than chains on our hands and feet. They point at danger to warn us, then point at success to guide us.
-------------------
-- Psalms 33:12
What joy for the nation whose God is the LORD,
whose people He has chosen for His own.
-- Job 5:17
17 "But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty when you sin.
18 For He wounds, but He also binds up;
He injures, but His hands also heal.
-- Hebrews 12:1,2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,
Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
-- Psalms 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
-- Philippians 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.
|