Hmmm I don’t Know Yet..

I heard a short sermon last night on the joy of the Lord and the simplicity of the message really opened my eyes to some things.

There are so many awesome scriptures that talk about joy and where it comes from and how it works in our lives. They really tell the message themselves.

Psalm 100

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Nehemiah 8:10

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Philippians 4:4

“Rejoice in Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”

I love how this scripture says to rejoice in the Lord “always”.  No matter what we are going through we are to rejoice in Him.  We should rejoice always, every single day.  Of course some days are harder than others.  For me, it wasn’t easy to rejoice in the Lord when my mom passed away or when I lost the babies, and to be honest, I didn’t… I sat in my grief and I wallowed and got more and more depressed.  It’s kind of like walking through mud. Either I can sit down in it and complain that I’m dirty and smelly or I can run to the finish line and rejoice that God is helping me get out of it.  Ok, weird analogy but I’ll clear it up later, just a little…muddy, right now…haha! See! I have the joy of the Lord!

James 1:2

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

If the joy of the Lord is our strength, then having joy whenever we face trials of many kinds means we have strength to get through them.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior.  The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”

Isaiah 12:2-3

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

Galations 5:22-23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control.”

Acts 2:28

“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”

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 Holy Spirit.”

One way I find that makes it easy for me to be joyful in times of trouble or stress is to begin to praise the Lord.  I start to think of every single thing I am thankful for and then thank God for those things.  I try to remember that I am not stuck in the fire but I’m going through the fire and Jesus is holding my hand the entire time and keeping me from getting burnt so long as I trust in him.

Another way to keep holding on to joy is to “take captive every thought…”

2 Corinthians 10:5

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

As soon as negative thoughts begin to try to enter our minds we should take control of them and command them to leave, after all, a fruit of the spirit is self control! 

God has delivered me from so much and I am so thankful to him.  He is so incredibly patient and loving!

Psalm 30:11-12 and Psalm 31:1-5

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.  In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.  Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.  Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.  Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.”

More reasons to be joyful in the Lord:

http://www.team-swap.com/iam.htm

That’s it for now.

Psalm 67:1

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us…”

These are just some scriptures that have spoken to me in one way or another:

James 3:9-11

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?”

James 4:7-8

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.”

Hebrews 13:5-6

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”"

1 Peter 2:4-8

“As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For in scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.  But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”  They stumble because they disobey the message — which is also what they were destined for.”

1 John 3:18

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

1 John 4:15-21

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drive out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made in perfect love.  We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says, “I love God.”  yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom  he has not seen.  And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

Colossians 3:12-17

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Ok I really have to sleep now! More soon!

So the past few days the Lord has been changing the way my eyes and my heart view people. I believe I am starting to see them as He sees them…and it is becoming life changing.

He is allowing me to see deeper…passed all of the surface “stuff”.  I am praying more than ever before for people.  If someone crosses my mind, they are in my prayers…I can’t not pray for them, does that make sense? 

Here is something that I did not write or come up with, it is copied from another website…and it is pretty cool:

You may not know me, but I know everything about you.  Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up.  Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways.  Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.  Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in My image. Genesis 1:27
In Me you live and move and have your being.  Acts 17:28
For you are My offspring.  Acts 17:28
I knew you before you were conceived.  Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation.  Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, all your days are written in My book.  Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.  Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother’s womb.  Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born.  Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know Me.  John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but the complete expression of love.  1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.  1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father.  1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.  Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father.  Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from My hand.  James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.  Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.  Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love.  Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts of you are countless as the sand on the seashore.  Ps 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing.  Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you.  Jeremiah 32:40
For you are My treasured possession.  Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all My heart and all My soul.  Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things.  Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find Me.  Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires.  Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.  Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.  Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to My heart.  Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.  Revelation 21:3-4
And I’ll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.  Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father and I love you even as I love My son, Jesus.  John 17:23
For in Jesus, My love for you is revealed.  John 17:26
He is the exact representation of My being.  Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.  Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.  2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.  2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of My love for you.  1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.  Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of My son Jesus, you receive Me.  1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from My love again.  Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.  Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father.  Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is – Will you be my child?  John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you.  Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad,  Almighty God

His love is amazing.

So the next time you look at someone or think about someone that usually brings negative thoughts or feelings to you….try to see them as God does. Try to see past the surface.  Even if you can’t…send a prayer God’s way for that person, it might just make you feel differently about them.

I am so thankful that the Lord is making me more aware of things lately. It truly humbles me for Him to reveal stuff to me that I would not have otherwise known or seen.

God is good.