Category Archives: Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing

Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Hope, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing

Is it realistic to find joy in all circumstances?

Scripture can be challenging if we truly recognize and accept the truth within it. Often, scripture highlights even to followers of Christ our failure to fully live out the life God intends . It becomes a choice of acknowledging we need to change, through God’s power, or justifying our shortcomings by redefining what scripture teaches so we feel more comfortable remaining the way we are.  Human nature is to rationalize that we are not wrong or in need of change, but rather to redefine our perception of what scripture means. However, this is not what God intends.

One such example I confront in my own life is that of living through each moment filled with joy, even in tough situations. It is easy to compare myself to others, or to my former self prior to walking with Christ, and both of these can help me feel better about myself, but they are the wrong measure. The true measure is indeed the Spirit of God and how we compare to His revelation in scripture. Consider Philippians 4.

Philippians 4:4-7

   4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It is easy to rationalize that perhaps He does not really mean “always”. What about those tough times when things aren’t going my way?

James 1:2-4

    2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Acts 16:22-25

     22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; 24and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

      25But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Clearly, God calls us to rejoice even and especially in tough times. If you continue reading in Acts beyond verse 25 you can actually see a dramatic series of events in how God used Paul’s and Silas’ joy in difficult circumstances to His glory.

Yikes! Rejoicing after being beaten and imprisoned for Christ. That is a really high bar. How can we get there? I have tried and made little progress. But it becomes clear to me now, the more I see God’s Spirit at work in me and transforming me. I can not do it of my own power and will, but only God can do it through me with His power.

Romans 15:13

13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:13

13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Let us remember to come to God in prayer and supplication and ask Him for His power and His help to transform us so we may glorify Him all the more. Let it never be about our power or our accomplishment, but rather our own submission to and recognition of the Father and Creator of all.

This is one of my prayers before my Father today and I know He will answer it as He has so many others. I encourage you each to pray for Him to transform your life in this way as well.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Greed, Heaven and Hell, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Loving / Kind, Righteousness / Serving God, Seeking God, Thankfulness, Wickedness / Evil, Wise, Worldliness

Imitate God Rather Than The World

Ephesians 5 speaks for itself. It is a timeless warning to avoid worldliness and a call to righteousness.

Ephesians 5

Be Imitators of God

     1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

      3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

      6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

14For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”

      15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Let us take a challenging look at ourselves and our lives and test to see if we are living as imitators of God, or of the world. In most cases, we struggle at some level in that we still are reflections of the sin culture of the world. Let us call upon God to help purify us further and help us to change our attitudes and actions to reflect better and better the righteousness of God rather than the values of the world.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Bitterness / Resentment, Controlling Thoughts, Grace / Patience, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Righteous, Self Control, Slow to Anger

Christ Is Our Example

No one has been treated more unfairly than Jesus Christ. He committed no sin and yet suffered greatly for our sin. While he was reviled, He did not revile in return. He demonstrated no bitterness or resentment despite terribly unfair treatment.  He is our example. We do well to follow His example.

1 Peter 2:21-25

Christ Is Our Example

      21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

The storms and difficulties will come for all of us. We have to prepare for how we deal with them. Do we become bitter and resentful or do we trust in God and lean on Him in faith as difficult times come. One way is the path based on sin and selfishness and leads to misery and frustration. The other way is the way of faith and leads to peace and joy. Let us strive to live our lives in the way our Lord, Jesus demonstrated by how He lived His life.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fear / Reverence for God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Sin, Study the Word, Thankfulness, Through Prophets

The Glory of the Lord Revealed

Leviticus 9 offers us an interesting view into the steps Moses instructed Aaron to follow in preparation for Jehovah revealing His glory to Aaron. What an interesting topic to study for those of us who wish to draw near to God and have a personal relationship with Him. (warning – I have more to learn in regards to the full significance of the Levitical sacrifices… by all means study these for yourself)

Aaron was to make a sin offering and a burnt offering for himself. The sin offering reminds us we need forgiveness and atonement for our sin, which separates us from God. Prior to the death of Christ, animal sacrifices symbolically took on the punishment for our sin. Now, we need instead to accept Jesus as Lord and accept His offer of His own death as ransom for our sin. The burnt offering symbolizes atonement for sin and our voluntary dedication (of ourselves) to the Father. Then he led the congregation in a similar set of sacrifices for their atonement and dedication.

He added a peace offering for the congregation, symbolizing fellowship, rejoicing and thanksgiving with the Lord. In all these things, they obeyed the specific instructions of the Lord. They did things His way. It was then that He revealed His glory before them.

Leviticus 9

Aaron Offers Sacrifices

      1Now it came about on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel; 2and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the LORD. 3“Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering, 4and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD will appear to you.’” 5So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the LORD. 6Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” 7Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the LORD has commanded.”

      8So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. 9Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10The fat and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver of the sin offering, he then offered up in smoke on the altar just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 11The flesh and the skin, however, he burned with fire outside the camp.

      12Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13They handed the burnt offering to him in pieces, with the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 14He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

      15Then he presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first. 16He also presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. 17Next he presented the grain offering, and filled his hand with some of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning.

      18Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 19As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and the fat covering, and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver, 20they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered them up in smoke on the altar. 21But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the LORD, just as Moses had commanded.

      22Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Take time to reflect on the significance of what God chose to reveal to us as His people in Leviticus 9. Do not rush over it because “sacrifices are obsolete”. Prayerfully consider the following if you wish to draw near to God and experience close fellowship with Him.

  • Do you learn and obey His ways rather than your own or what is accepted by our culture?
  • Have you accepted that you have a sin problem which separates you from the Father? Have you further come humbly before the Lord and asked Jesus to be Lord of your life… accepting His offer to pay to penalty for your sin? Have you repented from your sin and changed your ways?
  • Have you dedicated yourself to the service of the Father? This means your life reflects obedience to Him and setting yourself apart from the world to be holy and used for His purposes.
  • Do you come before the Father in thanksgiving and praise? Do you set aside time to fellowship with Him on His terms rather than your own?

Now consider that none of these things are one time decisions or actions. They are a new way of living once you are reborn in the Spirit. Pray for His help and then lead your heart in the way of the Lord.  Do these things wholeheartedly and He will draw near to you and reveal more of Himself to you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Money / Finances / Wealth, Peace / Rest, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness, Worry/Anxiety

Can Worry Add Even An Hour To Your Life?

It is easy and natural to worry. We can worry about our family, our jobs, our children’s performance in school or extra curricular activities. We can worry about our favorite sports teams winning or losing. We can worry about what we will be doing next week. There are lots of reasons we can choose to worry.

But what does Jehovah have to say about worry? Actually, He has a lot to say. One such verse to explore is short and to the point.

Philippians 4:4-9

      4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

      8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I do want to make a point that there is a difference between “worry” about something and taking action to address a situation that needs you to do something. I need not “worry” about my future finances when I walk with Jehovah, but He expects me to plan wisely, consistent with His word, and to exercise self control and manage my affairs well. Let us be careful to avoid the mistake of saying “not to worry” means we ignore the situation. This would be wrong and lead to many troubles.

Rejoicing always sounds tough for most of us… but just because it is different than what we expect, does not mean that it is wrong. Often, what we have become accustomed to is wrong and we need to seek God’s way in the Bible and change our ways. Paul was more than just talk on “rejoice always”. He rejoiced even under persecution such as when he was beaten and put in prison. He rejoiced in the sovereignty and love of the Lord Jesus!

Be thankful for what we have in Christ and what He has already provided us even as we come before Jehovah to ask for our needs or requests.

When we focus on what is good, honorable, right, pure, lovely… we can truly learn, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to be anxious for nothing.

I leave you with a common expression you may have heard before for consideration and reflection.

“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Do you know who said this first? It was Jesus, as documented in Matthew 6:27.

May the grace and peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Heaven and Hell, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Sloth / Laziness

Don’t Be A Slacker, Run the Race To Win

Do any of us respect those who do the bare minimum to get by? Or do we prefer those who dedicate themselves to do things well?

Which parents among us are proud if our kids do the bare minimum to get by? If we ask them to clean their room and they pick up one out of ten things in the middle of the floor… are we proud? are we even satisfied? What if they pick up half?

How about an employee that does the bare minimum to get by? The boss asks them to open the store at 9am… and he does… but he is always late, strolling in at 9:30. Is the boss impressed with the employee? Certainly not.

Consider parents. What would we say about parents who keep their children alive but let them be unsupervised and filthy? or let them play in the street where cars are driving by? Would we give them an award for parents of the year? or more likely try to help guide them to be better parents?

How about a spouse? Do we want a spouse who wants to please and show love to us? or are we satisfied with one that just lives alongside us, content to do their own thing without care or concern for us?

It is certainly fair to say that no one respects a slacker. Why then, do so many focus on doing the bare minimum they think is required to get to heaven? Certainly God is not impressed.

Challenge yourself… instead of asking “Do I need to do that to get into heaven?”, ask instead “Would it please God for me to do that?” What a powerful change in attitude. Seek not to do the minimum to “get into heaven”, but rather to draw near to God and please Him. The same approach is also powerful for all of the examples above as well! Children who don’t look for the minimum to get by, but instead seek to please their parents. Employees, parents, spouses seeking to please others… it works.

Don’t be a slacker for God or for your other important relationships in your life. Seek to joyfully and enthusiastically please Him… to obey Him in all things. Do not accept doing “just enough”.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Father / Yahweh, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Parenting, Peace / Rest, Speaking, Through Prophets

“You Shall Surely Observe My Sabbaths”

Many argue today that Sabbath is obsolete and no longer relevant. However, to abolish the Sabbath is to ignore not only what Jehovah commanded, but also to reject Jesus’ example of how we should live and His teaching, which constantly pointed back to the prophets and law of Moses as authority and instruction from the Father.

Matthew 23:1-3

  1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

At first, this scripture is not entirely clear, until you understand that when the Pharisees sat in the chair of Moses, they read only the scriptures, such as the law from God given through Moses. Jesus clearly distinguishes the law of Moses, which is to be followed, from the actual behavior of the Pharisees, which is tangled up with man made laws and traditions that distract from or contradict the law of God given through Moses.

Jesus even clearly stated that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. He emphasized the importance of keeping and teaching God’s commandments!

Matthew 5:17-19

    17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Our Father speaks many times definitively about the Sabbath. One such time is in Exodus 31.

 Exodus 31:11-18

The Sign of the Sabbath

      12The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13“But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14‘Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16‘So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ 17“It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”

      18When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

The Sabbath is a sign between the Father and His people, that we may know that He is the Lord who sanctifies us. The Sabbath is holy, that is to say that it is set aside for the purposes of Jehovah. As evidence from the punishment commanded by the Father, He was serious and this is an important matter. It should not be discarded.

We can have a good discussion on how reconciliation for sin has changed, not in its core principles, but in its administration. We no longer go through an earthly priesthood for forgiveness of sin but rather through Jesus Christ. With new administration of Christ, the punishments laid out in this scripture no longer apply. However, the purpose and principle of Sabbath have not changed. The Father set forth this example even from the beginning after creating everything.

We should remind ourselves further, that the Sabbath rest is for us… for man. Why should we discard it?

Mark 2:27

27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

My personal experience with observing the Sabbath has been great. At first, for even a month or two, it felt awkward and even left me frustrated at times that I did not have the day to do my work or chores. However, as I adapted my behavior and that of my family to obey scripture and continued on that path it started to change. Now I found I had time to spend resting and with my wife and children that I had not had before… because there is always some chore that can be done. I have more time available to spend with God. The day is already set aside, every week. My children look forward to it and generally are very joyful when Sabbath comes because they know it means a day of rest and quality time with Dad.

Seek prayerfully for the Father to confirm for you the importance of observing the Sabbath. I encourage any of you who observe the Sabbath to continue… well done! Others, who may not observe Sabbath at this time… try it. Just start observing Sabbath and continue for at least a month. It takes a bit of getting used to but is powerful in providing us the rest and time with God and family that we need to live the way the Father desires.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer

I Delight To Do Your Will, O My God

How many of us truly delight in doing the will of Jehovah? To delight in doing His will goes well beyond just knowing and obeying His will. It reflects a deep and passionate relationship and trust in Him. There are times where I delight in doing His will… but there are still times where I am choosing to do His will because I want to serve Him. I do not always delight in doing His will.

Psalm 40

     1I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

      2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

      3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

      4How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

      5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

      6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

      7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

      8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

      9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

      10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

      11You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

      12For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

      13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

      14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

      15Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

      16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”

      17Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Pray with me that Jehovah will help you to understand His will, and want to do His will and even delight in doing His will. I will share this parting thought. The more time I spend with Him in prayer and study and the more I choose willfully to obey His instructions… the more often I truly delight in doing His will. It has a lot to do with continuing to actively develop a relationship with our heavenly Father. It has much less to do with always understanding and agreeing with what He tells us to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing

How Do I Find Happiness?

Most of us would prefer to be happy than sad. Why is it so common then, that people are more often sad than happy? When we stray from the path our heavenly Father prepared for us we lose perspective and drift… seeking satisfaction and happiness in all the wrong places. The writer of Ecclesiastes spend a tremendous amount of time and effort seeking purpose and subsequently happiness in his life. In the end our only lasting accomplishments are what we invite Jehovah to do through us. Everything else will fade in time.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-14

   12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

It is good to rejoice. God wants us to have joy in life. He wants us to have abundant life. However, we must be careful not to lose sight of the context. It is not just about rejoicing and having a fun, party life. It is rejoicing and doing good. Let us remember how we define “good”, lest we be to quick to let the world define it for us.

Mark 10:17-19

  17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”

Jesus defined “good” to be acting according to God’s ways. So in this we have more clarity in terms of rejoicing and doing good in one’s lifetime. Verse 13 is very precise as well.

13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

All of us who eat and drink (as a result of our labor) should be able to see the blessings of God in our labor. He is providing for us through our labor! Verse 14 reminds us that we need not add to or take away from what God has done. What He does is eternal. He is worthy of fear and reverence.

14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

Let us each live according to God’s instruction and rejoice in how He provides for us and loves us. Let us obey Him and find joy in doing so! Show our Father in heaven proper respect, reverence, and yes… fear.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

A Time For Rejoicing and Praising God!

For all of us there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. [Ecclesiastes 3:4]

Joseph and his family experienced much hardship due to their own mistakes and failures. It could easily have been enough to permanently tear apart their family. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, who lied to their father that he was dead… all because they were jealous that their father showed obvious (and very unhelpful) favoritism to Joseph because he loved Joseph more than the others. It took strong faith in walking with God by Joseph to avoid bitterness and be open to forgiveness and reconciliation with his family. It took true repentance from his brothers to change their ways, which they demonstrated in defending Benjamin at the risk of their own peril.

Now, in Genesis 45, we see God’s plan come to fruition and the family reunited in a time for rejoicing and dancing.

Joseph Deals Kindly with His Brothers

      1Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 3Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

      4Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6“For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7“God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8“Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10“You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11“There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ 12“Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13“Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

      16Now when the news was heard in Pharaoh’s house that Joseph’s brothers had come, it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go to the land of Canaan, 18and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.’ 19“Now you are ordered, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come. 20‘Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

      21Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. 22To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and sustenance for his father on the journey.

      24So he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the journey.” 25Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

All of us either have gone through, are going through, or will go through very difficult times and likely very difficult times within our family relationships. We can learn great lessons from Joseph and his family. Trust in God through difficult times, even when we do not see where the path leads or when the difficulties will go away. Avoid bitterness at all costs, no matter how big or small the real or perceived wrong that was done to you.  Do your best in every situation as if you are working for the Lord, because you represent Him to others whether you are “governor of Egypt” or “in an Egyptian jail”… in good times and in bad. Seek to be forgiven and to forgive. When you do wrong, no matter how great or small, admit it to yourself, to God, and to the one you wronged. Repent, genuinely change your behavior and attitude, and don’t repeat the same mistakes over and over again… making excuses for why it is acceptable.

Then rejoice and praise God in thanksgiving when you get to experience the time to dance and celebrate!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.