40 Days Pondering the Fruit of the Spirit
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 13 | JOY
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 13 | JOY
JOY
Philippians 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (NKJV)
Many Christians seem surprised when I tell them that Scripture teaches us that God wants His children to be FULL of JOY. I’m guessing their upbringing didn’t get around to the verses that talk all about being JOYFUL all the time, like today’s verse from the book of Philippians.
The dictionary gives the following synonyms for joyful: “blissful, delighted, glad, gratified, happy, pleased, satisfied, thankful and tickled.” (www.merriam-webster.com)
On the other hand, the same dictionary lists the following antonyms (the opposite) for joyful: “displeased, dissatisfied, joyless, sad, unhappy, unpleased, unsatisfied.”
Let me ask the parents reading this: Which list would you prefer your children to act like? Or your spouse? (Or kids… your mom or dad?)
Jesus taught us to pray: “Our FATHER Who art in heaven.” And our FATHER God wants us – His children – to be JOYFUL. In fact, the Spirit led Paul to write Philippians and Paul wrote our verse for today… “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.”
Joy is a fabulous word and emotion. It’s what our heavenly Father wants for each of us. So what’s keeping us from feeling JOYFUL and thus rejoicing ALL the time? It varies from person to person… I often find that sin in one’s life being tolerated will keep us from being joyful. But in MANY cases, I find Believers spending TOO MUCH TIME absorbing the daily news and thus filling one’s mind with the doom and gloom of world events. YES, there is a lot wrong with our world – I acknowledge that – and yet, even in the midst of it all, the verse today says ALWAYS.
Always means ALWAYS. That means today, tomorrow, and next week. Always.
Prayer: LORD, I need Your help to get my focus back on YOU and the good things and blessings You have provided me. Forgive me. I want to be a rejoicing Believer, just as You desire for me every day. Thank you. Amen.
Philippians 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (NKJV)
Many Christians seem surprised when I tell them that Scripture teaches us that God wants His children to be FULL of JOY. I’m guessing their upbringing didn’t get around to the verses that talk all about being JOYFUL all the time, like today’s verse from the book of Philippians.
The dictionary gives the following synonyms for joyful: “blissful, delighted, glad, gratified, happy, pleased, satisfied, thankful and tickled.” (www.merriam-webster.com)
On the other hand, the same dictionary lists the following antonyms (the opposite) for joyful: “displeased, dissatisfied, joyless, sad, unhappy, unpleased, unsatisfied.”
Let me ask the parents reading this: Which list would you prefer your children to act like? Or your spouse? (Or kids… your mom or dad?)
Jesus taught us to pray: “Our FATHER Who art in heaven.” And our FATHER God wants us – His children – to be JOYFUL. In fact, the Spirit led Paul to write Philippians and Paul wrote our verse for today… “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.”
Joy is a fabulous word and emotion. It’s what our heavenly Father wants for each of us. So what’s keeping us from feeling JOYFUL and thus rejoicing ALL the time? It varies from person to person… I often find that sin in one’s life being tolerated will keep us from being joyful. But in MANY cases, I find Believers spending TOO MUCH TIME absorbing the daily news and thus filling one’s mind with the doom and gloom of world events. YES, there is a lot wrong with our world – I acknowledge that – and yet, even in the midst of it all, the verse today says ALWAYS.
Always means ALWAYS. That means today, tomorrow, and next week. Always.
Prayer: LORD, I need Your help to get my focus back on YOU and the good things and blessings You have provided me. Forgive me. I want to be a rejoicing Believer, just as You desire for me every day. Thank you. Amen.
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