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06.20.07 : Light for the Day
"Joy in the Lord"
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(Home) (VN) (C1) (C2) (K) (S) (F) (It) (De) (Ar) ("Pray To Receive Christ") -- Psalms 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. -- Psalms 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. -- Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God. ~ R.Schuller Any one can sing in the sunshine. You and I should sing on when the sun has gone down, or when clouds pour out their rain, for Christ is with us. ~ Anonymous Happiness depends on happenings; joy depends on Christ. ~ Anonymous
More than d Dance of Raindrops Moments of joy are powerful whether they come in a sprinkle or a torrent. Perhaps you’ve experienced joy in the unexpected giggle of a toddler, in a sudden breeze that brings you the smell of a mossy stream bank, or in the streak of a shooting star across a dear night sky. Joy like this is treasured because it is rare and transcendent. It reaches beyond practicality and expectation and touches a profound place in your soul. Moments of joy are magnificent. But there is a deeper kind of joy. This joy is deeply fulfilling and so much bigger than the warm feeling you get while watching dancing raindrops on a windowpane. It is a joy that stays with you even in times of great difficulty. Paul knew this kind of joy. It's what gave him the strength to sing praises to God while in jail. With great joy, Paul and his friend Silas praised God together behind bars. They were so exuberant in their joy, in fact, that their voices carried to other prisoners' cells. Had Paul lost his mind? What in the world could he have been joyful about while in jail? Paul's joy came not from his surroundings or circumstance, but from his delight in God. It came from knowing that he was in the center of God's will. It's relatively easy to find pockets of joy as you observe creation in all its glory, but when your joy is anchored in God, it can infuse all aspects of your life. The first step to knowing this kind of joy is to recognize that God is with you, no matter what happens or where you are. God is always near. Or you can think of it this way: The Creator of the universe cares about you so much that He is a constant companion. There is a certain joy in this knowledge alone -- God desires to be near you, not because He wants to point out your faults, but because He longs to make your life rich and full. The second step is to acknowledge that God knows what He's doing (even if it doesn't make sense to you at the time). Sometimes this is going to be a real challenge, but it's critically important if you desire to know true joy. You know from experience that when you delight in God, tears and pain don't magically go away. You're still going to go through tough times. Know that God has a solid grasp on the big picture, even though from your perspective things may not look all that great. God's plan is a good one. You can know deep, abiding joy by learning to trust in God's plan. God is in control. The third step is to search for God's will -- the path He desires you to take in life. Through Bible study and prayer, you can begin to piece together some of the puzzle that is God's will. Wise counsel from a pastor or friends can help too. The more you get to know God, the more you can know His will. And the more you know God's will and follow it, the more you will be like Paul, rejoicing no matter what the circumstance because you know you're right where God wants you to be. Finally, consider what God did for you when He sent Jesus to die on the cross: He removed your sin and gave you a new life -- a life that ultimately leads to heaven. While the image of Jesus on the cross is certainly sobering for its achingly real picture of suffering, it truly represents a reason to rejoice: God loves you that much. He desires a relationship with you. He wants to give you eternal life. Think about that for a moment. Joy wells up inside when you truly begin to comprehend the sacrifice God made in order to bring you into relationship with Him. Wouldn't you like to discover joy in the middle of a work crisis? Or joy in the middle of a relational disaster? The tastes of joy you experience as life unfolds around you are God-given and tantalizing, but they are only temporary. Joy in knowing and delighting in God, however, is both accessible and limitless. -- CL4Life
God's Promise God never promised A life without pain, Laughter without tears Or sun without rain. But He did promise Strength for the day, Comfort for the tears And light for the way, And for all who believe In His Heaven above He rewards their faith In His everlasting love. -- Anonymous
-- Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. -- Luke 10:17, 20 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." ++ 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. -- John 15:11 I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. -- John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. -- Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. -- Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. -- Philippians 1:2-6 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philemon 1:7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. -- James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -- 1 Peter 1:8-9 8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. -- 2 John 1:2-4 2 Because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. -- 3 John 1:2-4 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. -- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Be joyful always; 17 Pray continually; 18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. /////////////////////////////// -- Psalms 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You -- Psalms 19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. -- Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. -- Psalms 33:1-4 1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love. -- Psalms 51:10-13 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will turn back to You. -- Psalms 67:1-4 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, 2 that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. 3 May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You. 4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. -- Psalms 95:1-3 1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. 3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. -- Psalms 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
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