The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

May 9, 2019 by Patti Brown Leave a Comment

Seventeen years ago I decided to start a small business selling baby slings. When it was time to set up a website, I had to choose a name. What came to me was a surprise, because it wasn’t really me: The Joyful Mama.

There was something in this name that seemed right, but it sure didn’t describe me. I had a five year old and a toddler, and my husband traveled every week… and even some weekends. I was tired, depressed, and grouchy. Our marriage was struggling. My kids made me feel happy sometimes, but joy was elusive.

I remember thinking, “Well, this name is just going to have to be prophetic, because it sure seems right.” We bought the domain and set up the website.

God is faithful! He did indeed take that exhausted young mother and transformed her into a joyful mama from the inside out. (You can read a little more about that journey here and here.)

You see, there is just no way to make yourself joyful. You can’t fake your way to joy. God, through His Word, steadily showed me how to change my thinking, how to change my priorities, how to abide with Him.

Joy is not Circumstantial

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:24

Happiness is not a fruit of the Spirit. So how is joy different from happiness? Joy does not depend on the circumstances around us.

I have a dear friend with a debilitating chronic illness. She spends much of her time in pain. Yet she is one of the most joyful people I know. She has seen the fruit of joy come out of allowing Jesus into her suffering.

Is she ever grumpy? You bet. But those are passing moments, not a permanent state. She sees her life with eyes that have been refined by holy fire (Malachi 3:1-3), and those eyes have been trained to see blessing and gift in every moment, even the struggles.

Joy does not depend on your circumstances. #FruitOfTheSpirit

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Joy Comes From Him

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. John 16:22

Joy which is everlasting comes only from the Lord. No one can take His joy from you!

Read that again, friend: no one and nothing can take the joy of the Lord from you. It is a gift to you from Him. I promise you the world will try. But you are His, and you have received His joy!

No one can take the joy of the Lord from you! #FruitOfTheSpirit

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Joy Is Strength

do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b

There is a power that comes with the joy that the Lord gives. It is a strength that allows His children to stand firm with confidence. Our hearts have seen and known Him, and the joy of a life lived with Him gives us resilience in the face of challenge.

The joy of the Lord gives strength to stand firm with confidence. #FruitOfTheSpirit

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Jesus Fills Us With Joy

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11

Jesus doesn’t promise a tiny bit of joy, no, He promises fullness of joy! Ask and receive! There is no way to keep that joy from spilling out of you and blessing all those around you. That is Jesus in you!

May you feel the fruit of joy in a powerful and new way today!

God’s Word promises fullness of joy! #FruitOfTheSpirit

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Finding Joy | Every. Single. Day.

March 18, 2016 by Guest Post 3 Comments

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

Do you see the glass as half empty…or half full? I see the glass as partially full when it used to be totally full. For many years, I thought that was being a realist. But, I came to realize…through an amazing teacher who saw things in me that no one had ever pointed out before…that I can be a pessimist. I don’t know if I have ever admitted that publicly, but there it is.

Optimist, Pessimist, or Realist – life can throw us curveballs that seem impossible to overcome: financial troubles, persistent illness, a terrible accident, daily conflict with those we love the most, a messy house, failed relationship, an overly full schedule that still feels empty, self-doubt, disliking what we see in the mirror, or an adult life that just doesn’t look like what we imagined. All of this can threaten to steal the joy right out of our hearts. The JOY that is promised to us as a FRUIT of the presence of God in our lives.

Think back to the last time that you truly felt joyful. Was it yesterday? Last week? Last month? Longer?

Finding Joy | Every. Single. Day. Glass half empty of half full? Read more at DoNotDepart.com

To answer that question, we might need to come to an understanding of what joy is. My dictionary defines joy this way as to experience great pleasure or delight. My [elementary] study of the Greek word in the above passage points us to a deeper meaning that is a direct result of God’s grace which is unearned and unmerited favor. There is no amount of human weakness – including my own – that can supersede that.

Don’t worry. I don’t feel it either when I hate my job, the baby screams for 72 hours straight, or there is just not enough money to pay bills and eat. Slowly but surely, however, the Lord is teaching me three steps to walking in his joy…instead of the reality of our fallen world. Because that is what every, single problem points to: a fallen, sinful, messy world. And I choose JOY…

Appreciate who God is. Start each day by thinking about God’s grace. Read about it, sing about it, and express gratitude to the Lord.
Acknowledge all the little, daily blessings. We have all had some really bad days. But, even then, there are blessings. The A/C repair did not cost as much as anticipated. The car quit on the way home from work, rather than on the way there. The dinner that I prepared at the end of a long day turned out well. The baby’s fever finally broke. Someone recognizes all your hard work. A random person pays a compliment. You get the picture. There is some good in there somewhere and my job is to find it. Make a list using a little notebook by your bed. Go to bed by writing down 3 little blessings. Wake up and read them.
Allow yourself to focus on today. Yesterday was beautiful. OR it was terrible. Either way, it is gone. Tomorrow is not here. Plan for it, but don’t let the anticipation of its blessings or sorrows overcome the joy of today. Think about each moment of the day as an opportunity to receive and give joy: in the grocery store or post office or restaurant.

It’s that easy? No, it’s that hard. But is it worth it? Absolutely. When I walk through life in the fullness of His unearned and unmerited favor, it is worth it to discipline my mind to walk in joy.

Ayoka Billions is a Registered Nurse turned Casting Director (finding actors for commercials, TV, & movies). A true G.R.I.T (girl raised in the South) minus a few years in California to see the world and marry her soulmate, she loves running, reading, gardening, watching old movies, board games, and playing with her three sons. Her passion is to see women rise above daily struggles to walk in victory.

How can you find joy Every. Single. Day? Read today’s guest post to find out!

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Three steps to finding Biblical joy every single day. Experience this fruit of the spirit in your life!

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Shine Like Stars: Give and Rejoice {Philippians 2:17-18}

March 28, 2015 by Patti Brown 1 Comment

We have spent this month reading and reflecting on Philippians 2… on how we who walk with Christ are called to shine like stars in our often dark world.

How do we shine? By…

Our final verses in this month’s study are Philippians 2:17-18.

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

What more can we glean about shining from these two verses?

we choose to give
we rejoice!

Give

Sometimes God calls us to give sacrificially. To be poured out.

In ancient Israel, many types of offerings were made by the priests on the altar of the Lord. The Old Testament goes into great detail about the nature of these offerings – among them, which types of offerings were to be made for specific circumstances and even the level of offering based upon one’s wealth.

The drink offering was one of the types of offerings. Usually wine, a drink offering was often poured over other offerings on the altar. All offerings required a sacrifice of some kind on the part of the giver.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he refers to himself as the offering. And we can apply this to ourselves as well.

As we selflessly seek to walk with God – to love and serve others, to shine like stars – we are called to lay our lives down and make them an offering. We become as a gift on His altar.

We know that Jesus’ death on the cross was the final offering needed to reconcile us to God. The offerings we make as His children we do out of love, not obligation. Your gift of love as you pour yourself out in His service is a sweet aroma to your heavenly Father!

Rejoice – the Right Response to Serving

Let us not be deceived – you can give and give but not shine.

When you allow God to pour you out in service to others, you can take that gift and twist it. It is frighteningly easy to do.

You can feel used, you can feel sorry for yourself, you can act like a martyr. When you do this, you take the shiny gift of service and muddy it with selfishness.

Paul is clear – serve and rejoice. Give all that you have and all that you are, be poured out to the last drop, and rejoice in what God is doing!

I will be honest: there have been times when I have been poured out and felt so dry that I have thrown myself a pity party. When I look at those times I can see two very clear reasons:

I was not prioritizing abiding in God and in His Word, so was operating from my own strength
I had allowed a spirit of complaining and wrong thinking to creep in and replace an attitude of thanksgiving

Remember, there is a battle for our minds! And as Ali reminded us, “as both His body and His bride we’re called to be united with Christ in the same mind.”

Rejoice Together

Philippians has been called the “joy book” of the bible for good reason. Paul wove the theme of joy deeply throughout his letter to his brothers and sister in Philippi.

Paul encouraged his beloved brethren to rejoice with him, and what a good word this is for us today too!

We each face many earthly struggles and sorrows – there is just no escaping them. In fact Jesus Himself told us to expect them: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33b Even in the midst of pain, we who follow Christ can rejoice!

We rejoice together because of Whose we are.

We rejoice together because we believe that God is sovereign, that He is working all things together for good, that we will see Him one day face to face.

Our heavenly Father has made us brothers and sisters, given us to one another to love and enjoy. We bear each other’s burdens and share in each other’s joys.

Our joy in Christ and in one another makes us shine even more!

For further study:

1) Other references to drink offerings in Old Testament include Genesis 35:14, Ezra 7:17 and Numbers 28:7. What happened to the drink offerings?
2) When does Philippians 4:4 say we should rejoice?
3) Consider how your mind plays a role in your ability to rejoice. Read 2 Corinthians 10:5. How can you actively engage in keep your mind on the right track? What is the result of thinking about God and His ways, according to Isaiah 26:3?
4) Reflect: how do other believers help you rejoice? Think of one person in your life who rejoices with you regularly and take the time to call them or jot a note to thank them for blessing you in this way.

Give and Rejoice! – a #ShineLikeStars post on Phil 2:17-18

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We make our lives an offering. Give and rejoice! #ShineLikeStars

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Rejoice together because of Whose you are! #ShineLikeStars

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Praising His Paths

July 3, 2014 by Caroline Leave a Comment

Wherever our journeys have taken us through this year, let us remember to praise Him this weekend for His paths, His righteousness, and His freely-given joy.

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11

Singing Mountains and Clapping Trees

March 26, 2014 by Kathy Howard 1 Comment

I would not have wanted Isaiah’s job. For 60 years he went to work every day to warn God’s people of His coming judgment on their unrepentant sin. The job must have had great benefits, because he stuck with it until the end.

Even though Isaiah’s message and contained a lot of “gloom and doom,” life-giving portions of it promised God’s restoration and ultimate salvation. All this month, we’ve focused on chapter 55, one of those hope-filled sections of Isaiah’s prophecy.

Today, we’ll finish the chapter with verses 12 and 13. But let’s get a running start. Here is Isaiah 55:10-13 from the NLT:

¹⁰“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. ¹¹It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

¹²You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! ¹³Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

God’s Word will fulfill God’s purposes. I love that we can trust this promise!

I also love that God intends for His Word to bring His people joy and peace. When we receive and accept His Word in our lives it will fill us with His joy and peace. God’s Word will restore and refresh.

Where grief and sadness once grew, His abundant love will take root and a song will burst forth from our lips. Where sadness once ruled, God’s power will reign and our feet will begin to dance to the Father’s heart beat.

Is your life overgrown with thorns and briers? Immerse yourself in God’s Word today. The mountains will begin to sing and the trees will clap their hands!

Repeat the Joy

December 24, 2013 by Caroline 2 Comments

We have many favorite Christmas-themed picture books around here.

This is one of our favorites this year.

[amazon_link id=”0525422765″ target=”_blank” ]Listen to the Silent Night[/amazon_link] is gorgeously illustrated, focused on the journey to Bethlehem and the beginning of the Word become flesh (John 1:1-4). The steady rhythm the words take when read aloud help you feel the possible emotions of the night.

This is one of my personal favorite pages:

Look at that unabashed joy on the shepherd’s face.

The urgency of his posture. The importance of that job to spread this new of great joy.

It makes me almost think those shepherds immediately grabbed that good news and ran with it.

But reading Luke 2 reminds me otherwise.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appear to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” – Luke 2:8-9, NIV

They were what? Terrified?!

Considering the awe-inspiring appearance angels might have had (not necessarily the “happy” simple faces on Christmas crafts), I might’ve been terrified, too.

The angel greeted the shepherds:

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’” – Luke 2:10-11, NIV

That’s pretty upfront. Do not be afraid. I bring good news. Here it is!

Did the angel stop there? Nope. Read on, and we see:

“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:12, NIV

The angel told the shepherds this good news outright, and he told the shepherds they would have visual confirmation!

Is this the only message the shepherds receive? Nope.

“Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” – Luke 2:13-14, NIV

Not only did the angel tell the shepherd the good news and say they’d have visual confirmation, but an entire host of angels appeared to sing praises of God and confirm this great news.

In just seven verses, we have one revelation and two big reminders of immeasurable joy.

The shepherds didn’t hear this good news just once. They heard it three times. Repeated joy.

So off the shepherds run (dashing with that excitement in the illustration above, I imagine) to Bethlehem to see for themselves. (They need another reminder!)

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to the Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” – Luke 2:15-16, NIV

They see him! They actually see Christ the King, born in the humble, new, fresh form of a human baby. The beauty. The joy. Unimaginable, isn’t it?

And so they go, ready to the share the news as they’ve been commissioned to do.

Do they tell just one person? Speak this good news just once?

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them…The shepherds returned, glorying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” – Luke 2:17-18, 20

Who knows how many times these shepherds repeated themselves. But they did. They told many people, and then they returned, still praising, still repeating the joy.

We Need Reminders

We need truths repeated. “Do not be afraid” is one of the most repeated phrases in the Bible (Luke 1:30). The psalms repeat again and again to “rejoice” and to “trust” and that God’s love endures forever (Psalm 136).

We need reminders.

Sometimes I need reminders of the joy myself. Sometimes I need something repeated until I really get it, trust it, understand it. (And I’ve seen the same happen with others, whether it be about faith or about other things, like health or habits.)

Here are five Scriptures to remind yourself or share with others to repeat the joy and share good tidings this Christmas:

“The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.” – Psalm 145:13b
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John 14:27
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
“Rejoice always,pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This list is not at all comprehensive. What verses would you add? How can you repeat the joy to yourself and others this Christmas?

Let’s Celebrate

January 28, 2011 by ScriptureDig 4 Comments

After several minutes of spontaneous clapping, cheering, hugging, and even jumping up and down, a reverential hush fell over those of us packed into the small sanctuary. God had done it! He had provided abundantly more than we could even think or imagine.

God had led our small, but quickly growing congregation to embark on a new building project. We needed a pretty large sum of money to get started. Our church, in a small town outside Calgary, Alberta, included many seminary students and young families. Very few members really had any money, yet we stepped out in obedience.

We set a “loaves and fishes” date. The church would bring their offerings – money and pledges – and lay them on the altar. Then we would share a meal together while the offerings were counted. Children drug sacks of coins down the aisle, others committed their Christmas or vacation money, some gave education savings, but all gave. Even though the church gave sacrificially, logically there was no way we could give enough. But we stepped out in obedience and trusted God to provide.

We gathered after dinner to hear the report. When the pastor shared the amount of the offering the church verbally and physically celebrated over the amazing thing God had done. And when the awe of our incredible God came over us, worship joined our celebration.

To be honest, I never thought of celebration as a spiritual discipline until reading Richard Fosters Celebration of Discipline. Foster says:

“joy is the end result of the Spiritual Disciplines’ functioning in our lives.”

God’s transforming work produces joy in our lives. So, we will experience it as we obediently practice the spiritual disciplines.

However, joy or celebration is also itself a spiritual discipline. God commands us to be joyful. (See Philippians 4:4-9.) Those of us who have been redeemed have much to rejoice about. Celebrating what God has done for us honors Him and acknowledges His mercy towards us. We do not deserve what He has given us but still He lavishly poured out every spiritual blessing in Christ.

The ancient Israelites had regular celebrations to give God thanks for all He had done and provided. These kinds of celebrations not only turned their hearts toward God, it pointed others to Him as well. Today, we don’t always celebrate enough. It’s okay to let loose and celebrate all God has done! Sing, cheer, and clap. Applaud the One who is worthy of our praise.

Our small church in Alberta, Canada had reason to celebrate. God had blessed our obedience. And celebrate we did! We also told others about God’s goodness and many joined in our joy resulting in more glory to God.

Do you have something to celebrate today? How can you celebrate God and what He has done in your church and in your life?