Joy Vs. Happiness

Psalm 28:7,"The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."

Webster defines Joy as: the state of well-being or contentment. 

Happiness: a pleasurable or satisfying experience.  

Joy is a state of being. We have joy based in what we know. Psalm 32:2," Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!"  

Psalm 34:5, 8,"Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!"

Happiness is momentary and fleeting. It is based on our circumstances. We can have joy in the midst of hard times because our hope and source of peace never cease. 

Habakkuk 3:17-18,"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!" 

2 Corinthians 6:10a,"Our hearts ache, but we always have joy."

1 Peter 1:6(NET),"This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials."

Happiness will come and go, but joy will last for a lifetime if we take our eyes off what we see and focus on what we don't see. 2 Corinthians 4:18,"So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

Taste and See

Psalm 34:8-10,"Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing."

Our God is holy. He is righteous. He is merciful. He is love. He is faithful. 

Due to God's complete holiness, sin cannot dwell in his presence. Revelation 21:8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” If we choose to live in willful sin, we are separating ourselves from God. God never leaves his kids, but just like our own children, we can choose to walk away from our Father. 

God is righteous. Because of his righteousness, all sin must be punished. That punishment is death. Praise God!  Jesus paid the price for our sin when he willingly gave up his life. Romans 6:23,"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

God is merciful. He understands our human weakness and has already made provision for it. 2 Corinthians 12:9,"My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23,"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

God is love. He is not just loving, but he is the embodiment of love.  

1 John 4:8,"But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

God is faithful. There is no shadow of turning with him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Deuteronomy 7:9,"Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands."

As we reflect on these characteristics of our Wonderful Father we can have joy. Our focus must be on daily seeking to know him more. As we seek to know him, he will show us deeper truths about himself. The more we know him, the more we love him and realize his deep love for us. The more we realize his love for us, the easier it will be to live our lives in faith and obedience. As children try to please someone they know really loves them, so we will want to obey our Heavenly Father. 

Oh taste and see...

Word Power

Proverbs 18:21,"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."

Our words have power. With words God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:3, 6, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. Then God said, ‘Let there be...’ Genesis 1:11, “Then God said, ‘Let the land sprout with vegetation...’"

With words Jesus cursed a fig tree. Matthew 21:18-19,"In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up."

Our words have the same power. We can build ourselves and others up or we can tear ourselves and others down. Proverbs 12:18,"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

To illustrate, when I was a young teen, someone I trusted and respected told me I had a beautiful voice.  I have never been ashamed or embarrassed to sing because she spoke words of encouragement and life into my spirit.  On the other hand, someone I love dearly told me often when I was growing up that I was fat and ugly.  As an adult, I realize that he was teasing me and didn't really mean it.  However, I have struggled with my self-image, which adversely affected my self-esteem, all my life. 

Which of these “words” do you think the enemy reminds me of often?  Both!!!  Yes, it is true, he reminds me of the positive, uplifting words when he wants to work on pride in my life.  He tempts me to think more of my voice than I ought. He also reminds me of the negative, hurtful words daily as well.  I have to work hard every day to fight against negative feelings about my body.  I can tell you from personal experience, I would rather have to fight against pride then self-image and self-esteem issues.  Our words have so much power: life and death are in our tongue. 

David asked in Psalm 19:14,"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." What we say and what we focus our thoughts on will determine the course of our life. Philippians 4:8,"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

When we go through hard times or face circumstances we don't like it is easy to say things that will only make it worse. We can encourage ourselves like David, Psalm 42:5, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Or we can choose to speak negatively to ourselves and our situation.

When our lives feel weighed down by cares and trouble, we need to speak out God's promises and encourage our spirits. Proverbs 12:25,"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."

Sometimes there will be someone there to encourage us, however, we must encourage ourselves and speak to our spirit and tell it how to think. When we allow our flesh to dictate our feelings and our reactions to the things we face we will feel defeated, and sadly, we will end up defeated. Jesus told us in John 6:63 (ESV),"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

Another area we need to think about is how we speak to others when we are in a conflict.  It is easy to want to return hurt for hurt.  Someone says something unkind to us, and we want to spout off with a string of hurtful words to.  The Word tells us that this is not ok. Ephesians 4:29, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”  Proverbs 16:24, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”  Proverbs 17:9, “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”  If we are responding to the other individual and not reacting, we can control our tongue and speak words that will be helpful to them, not harmful.

I have often heard people say, “Well if the truth hurts…”  The Word says to speak the truth in love.  Ephesians 4:15, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”  It is often necessary to point out something to another that is uncomfortable or hard, but even in those times; our words can be tempered with love.  While the truth may hurt, it doesn't have to be hurtful. When our focus is on building others and our own spirit up, we will use words that are like apples of gold in settings of silver: priceless.  Proverbs 25:11(ESV), “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

We must work on our speech and thought habits. Are we speaking health and life to ourselves and those around us? Or are we speaking death?

All Scriptures are NLT unless otherwise stated.

Parched Ground

Psalm 63:1, "O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water."

Those of us who live in the desert really understand how desperate the land can get for rain. Dust storms are prevalent when the ground has gone without rain for long periods of time. Even the slightest breeze can kick up a cloud of dust.

The same is true in our spiritual lives.  When we go for prolonged periods is time without spending time in the Lord's presence we become parched spiritually. David wrote, Psalm 42:1, "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God." We too must long for God with such yearning.

If we are not spending time in the Word, prayer, and in the presence of the Lord, we will become like the dry ground, blown by any wind of doctrine or blown over by the cares of life.  Ephesians 4:14, “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”  Proverbs 10:25, “When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.” 

Genesis tells us the sad story of the “fall of man.”  Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”  “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”  “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”  “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.”

The enemy’s primary tactic for leading us astray is to twist the truth just a bit.  If the truth is twisted only a little, it is totally a lie.  God told Adam, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”   Then the serpent came along and twisted the words of God just a bit, putting a question in as well.  “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” God had only told Adam that the tree of Knowledge was off limits.  Satan came in to “question” Eve about eating from any tree.  Once Eve entertained this question/thought she was hooked.  Listen to her response, “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”   Eve responded like many of us do when questioned about things God says, we add to His Word to emphasis our point. God never said anything about touching the fruit, just eating it.  When she added her own words, she was diving deeper into the thought and thus toward sin.  Then Satan countered with the lie that death would not be imminent.  He implied that God was holding out on her because He knew that she would become like Him if she ate the fruit.  “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”  A few rightly places lies/deceptions and Eve was hooked, “The woman was convinced.” If Eve, who literally, physically, walked with God daily, was able to deceived by the twisting of the truth, how much more can we be deceived? 

We must not allow our spirits to become parched from lack of time with Christ.  If we do we will not have anything hidden in our hearts to combat the lies the enemy will throw at us.  We cannot continue to live a life of mediocrity.  Time is too short for playing games with our faith.   God always provides a way for his children to learn and understand the truth, but we must take those opportunities when they come. 

Our first line of defense is to spend time alone in the secret place with the Father in prayer and reading the Word.  Galatians 6:9, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”  Often we grow tired of seeking, asking, and knocking, but we must not give up.  Reaping implies that there is a harvest and a harvest can only come when water is applied to the soil to enrich the plants.  Our soil will not grow parched if we continually spend time with the Father.  Our second defense is Christian fellowship and accountability.  We must work together to encourage and exhort each other.  1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.” Here Paul is illustrating the need for each of us to minister to others and do our part for the Kingdom.  We never know if we are planting or watering, but without both, there is nothing for God to make grow. We may be adding water to a very parched life and in so doing saving a soul from eternal separation from Christ or we may be giving a weak soul the nourishment he/she needs to keep standing tall another day. 

We do not do this on our own, the Word tells us, in Isaiah, that when the Messiah comes he will bring healing, streams in the desert, and will satisfy the thirsty land.  When the presence of the Holy God meets our spirits, we will be healed and refreshed like the parched ground after a good rain. Isaiah 35:5-7, “And then he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.”

Be encouraged dear friend, God longs to water the soil of our lives, if we will only spend time with him! 

Time With God

By Melissa Larabee

My time with God is important to Him, and very valuable to me.

It’s in those times His voice I hear, and there His love I see.

He holds me close with gentle arms, and draws me ever near.

I love my time alone with God, my Savoir is so dear.

Oft’ times I fail to meet with Him, my time seems stretched so thin.

I miss out on His strength and power, the battles I could win.

Instead I try to carry the load, the weight is hard to bear.

If I spend my time alone with Him, He provides for every care.

He longs for moments of my time, I choose to give Him alone.

I must remember in His arms, I am always safe at home.

Drawing near to God is always sweet, the peace, and joy, and rest. 

Spending time with Him each and every day, reminds me how much I’m blessed.

Why do I miss my times with Him, I really cannot say.

But as I do the cares of life grow greater every day.

Staying away is telling my Lord, “I can do life on my own.”

The longer I miss my times with Him, the further my heart gets from home.

Without His comfort and His love, my life is not complete.

When will I learn, like Mary, just to sit at Jesus’ feet?

“Stay close to me, my precious child, your burdens I will bear,

As you learn to sit and rest, you can release your every care.

My yoke is easy, my burden’s light, my arms always outstretched,

I long for my children to come to me and find their place of rest.”

All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

Our Rock

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the Lord always,for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. 

Webster's Dictionary defines rock as:   Foundation, support, or refuge. 

2 Samuel 22:2-3 He sang:“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me,and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. 

Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me,and my place of safety. 

Psalm 62:2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. 

Psalm 62:7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. 

Jesus is our rock. He is our fortress against the schemes of the devil. He us our refuge during the storms of life. He is our strength in the battles we face. He is our protector, defender, strength, and salvation. 

We can look to Christ for all we need. He is all we need. Take every care to him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7,"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."

Our Inheritance

1 Peter 1:3-4,"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay." 

Webster’s Dictionary defines inheritance as: money, property, etc., that is received from someone when that person dies.  We receive our inheritance because Jesus died on the cross to set us free from the law of sin and death.  Praise God, he did not remain in the ground but he rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God making intercession for us daily. Romans 8:34 (NIV), “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Praise God!  We have a beautiful inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Colossians 3:1-2, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”  The life we live here on earth is not all there is to our existence. Some day we will see Jesus face to face. We will worship around the throne with all those who have gone before us. We must live our lives with eternity in mind.

Ephesians 2:19 (ESV), “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”  Webster’s Dictionary defines aliens as: relating, belonging, or owing allegiance to another country or government.  Our citizenship is in heaven and our allegiance must be there as well. 

  

We also have an inheritance through Christ while we travel this earthly path.

Romans 8:17,"And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."   We often only think of the blessings that come from being heirs with Christ.  We need to understand that there may be suffering in this life too. However, we have the promises of God to stand on in those times.  Those promises are our inheritance here on earth.

The Word promises:

Help overcoming sin: 2 Peter 1:4, “And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

Forgiveness: 1 John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Future and Hope: Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”

Help Carrying the Load and Rest: Matthew 11:28-29, “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’”

Provision: Philippians 4:19,"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

Healing: 1 Peter 2:24,"He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed."

The Word is full of promises that are ours to claim in this lifetime.  As we journey, God wants to bless us with life abundant.  Our inheritance begins the moment we confess Jesus as Lord and will be fulfilled when we see him face to face. 

This life is temporary. It will be gone before we know it. Our hope must lie in knowing that when we leave here we are going home!!!!!  This world is not our home we are just passing through!!!!

Unless otherwise stated, all Scriptures are NLT.

Shepherd and Sheep

John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.”  Psalm 100:3, “Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his.     We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

The Shepherd loves the sheep and will give up his life for them.  John 10:11 & 15b, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.”

Psalm 23 illustrates the roles of the shepherd and the sheep.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need (Sheep cannot provide for their own needs, they need the shepherd to provide all of their needs.)

2 He lets me rest in green meadows; (Green meadows provide good grass for the sheep as well as providing easy terrain for walking.) he leads me beside peaceful streams. (Sheep have such heavy, thick wool, that if they were trying to drink from a rough, rushing stream, their wool would soak up the water and they would fall in and be pulled down stream before the shepherd could get to them.  They would drown.)

3 He renews my strength.  He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.  (Sheep are known for their following instinct.  They will follow the shepherd because they recognize his voice and trust him.  John 10:4, “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.”  Because Christ is Holy, he will never lead us onto the wrong path.  If we are feeling lead in the wrong direction, we need to check the voice, it won’t be Christ!  John 10:10, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”)

4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.  (The shepherd uses his staff to guide the sheep.  If they feel the tap on their side they feel comforted. If their shepherd is leading them, they don’t fear but simply follow, knowing he cares for them. He also uses his staff to pull the sheep out of danger.)

5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.  (The sheep eat in the meadows even though there may be danger around them. A wolf could come at any moment but the shepherd is on the look out!)  You honor me by anointing my head with oil.  (The shepherd checks each sheep closely looking for any injury. He anoints the sheep with oil to prevent disease and to heal injury.)  My cup overflows with blessings.

6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. (If the sheep don’t wander off, they will stay under the shepherd’s care their entire life and he will love and care for them.)

Jesus said this about himself, John 10:9, "Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures." As the door, Jesus is the security system for his sheep.

The shepherd slept in the doorway (the only way in or out) of the sheepfold. Nothing could get to his sheep unless it went through him.

In kind, nothing can touch our life unless it passes through Christ first. If he allows it to touch us, we can rest assured that he has already made provision (whatever is needed) for it in heaven and is waiting for us to ask for it.  Philippians 4:6, "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

Like sheep, we need a shepherd to protect and guide us.  When we accept Christ as Lord we gain a security system for our spirit. Colossians 3:3b, "your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” No need for alarm.  God has us firmly in his grasp. John 10: 28, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,"  We can choose to walk away, but no force outside of our free will can take us out of his care.

Our shepherd is always on duty.  He never sleeps or slumbers.  There has never been, nor ever will be a moment of our lives in which he was uninvolved.  We like sheep, can rest assured that we are loved, protected, and provided for.  Our Shepherd is More Than Enough!!!

All Scriptures are NLT, unless otherwise noted.