The joy of the Lord is your strength - Neh. 8:10

A group of us recently went to the Fresh Grounded Faith conference with Jennifer Rothschild and Ann Voskamp.  Wish I could sit over a thousand cups of coffee with each of you to share the blessings of what these two precious women shared with us.  Jennifer, legally blind for many years, shared delightful words about how we are not defined about our feelings...we are defined by who we are in Christ.  Some day maybe I'll tell you more.  However, today I want to share with you what Ann said about joy. Much of this is taken from her book ONE THOUSAND GIFTS.

One of Voskamp's key themes comes from the word eucharisteo, the giving of thanks.  Charis means grace, chara means joy - very much related to each other and wrapped up together.   She said (in talking about Jesus' giving of thanks in all his hard days): "as long as thanks to God is possible, then joy in God is always possible".  Are you looking for joy today?  Where are you looking?  Are you allowing circumstances or relationships to rob your joy?   Ann says about our verse for today...

If you let someone steal your joy, they steal

your strength.  If you don't fight for joy, it's

your children, your husband...all lose because

of it.

She said we are going to have to pursue it, run afte it, chase it...joy will not come easily but because it is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), it is very much available to us.

Nehemiah knew this principle. Ezra had just read from the Book of the Law and the people knew they had not obeyed it...they were mourning and weeping over their sins.  Nehemiah instructed them not to mourn but to celebrate.  Are you celebrating your salvation today?  Your forgiveness?  His great love for you?  Or are you letting your own past rob you of joy?  Or the circumstances of your life?  The people who have failed you?

If, in Jesus' suffering, He gave thanks, I believe there is nothing in all the world that can rob me of my joy...and I simply will not let it.  He died that His joy might be in me and might be complete (John 15:11).

Philippians 4:4 says "Rejoice in the Lord always".  1 Thes. 5:16-18 says: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..."  "The joy of the Lord is our strength".  Are you feeling pretty strong today?  If not, run after it.

For further study:  1 Chron. 16:27, Esther 9:20-22, Psalm 21:6, Psalm 51:12, Psalm 66:1, Proverbs 12:20, John 15:11, Romans 12:12, Gal. 5:22-23, Philippians 4:4-7

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love, 

Holly

The LORD is my Shepherd - Psalm 23:1

Our most precious of all psalms was written by a young David, a shepherd and a future king.  Can you just imagine his thoughts as he gazed upon his sleeping sheep and the glorious star-filled heavens.  In fact, he wrote many of his thoughts and we have such wonderful wisdom from what he learned from his job and from his God.  He had joys, fears, struggles, grief...every imaginable emotion was written from his time out in the fields and on the throne.  This was before the throne ever became a reality.


He knew what it was to be a shepherd - he came from a long line of them.  He knew they were responsible for every need of their flock.  He knew they needed to make themselves known to their sheep so they would recognize their voice.  He knew the shepherd would need to gently but firmly guide his sheep back onto the right path.  He knew if they were afraid, he would be the one to comfort them and restore them.  He knew their enemies would be his enemies.  He was their protector and would never leave them.  In fact, he may have been speaking as one who knew exactly what it meant to need a "shepherd".  For he knew who the "Good Shepherd" was and had a vital and committed relationship with Him.


Phillip Keller has written A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23 he says:

When the simple...statement is made...

that "The Lord is my Shepherd", it

immediately implies a profound yet practical

working relationship between a human being

and his Maker.

Do not miss John 10 where Jesus tells the Pharisees: "I am the good shepherd" (v. 11) and "...my sheep know my voice" (v. 27).  They could choose to follow Him or reject Him...but they couldn't do both.  Either He had authority and responsibility for them, or He did not.  Either they surrendered the control of their lives to Him or they did not.

I choose to call Him my Shepherd!  I give Him authority and responsibility to guide my life.  He is wisdom, I am not.  He is love, I am not.  He knows the future, I do not.  I am humbled by His leadership in my life and grateful.

For further study: Psalm 100:3, Psalm 119:176,  Isaiah 40:11, Isaiah 53:6, Jeremiah 31:10, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Matthew 9:36, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:4

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word,

Love,

Holly



LOVE - 1 Corinthians 13

I love restaurants that let you choose among a list of items: "Pick 2"...one from the salad list, one from the sandwich list...or better yet, one from the dessert list too!!!


Our pillows today come from another kind of list...a LOVE list!

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast,

it is not proud.  It does not dishonor

others, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no

record of wrongs.  Love does not delight

in evil but rejoices with the truth.

it always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Guess what?  We don't get to choose the ones that are easy, or comfortable, or ones that suit us.  This list was given to us to obey in full.  Paul is telling this body of believers that this kind of love (agape love, the kind that God has for us, unconditional-like...) is the solution to their problems within their church.  Max Lucado says about this list in A LOVE WORTH GIVING:

When we love someone we take the entire package.

No picking and choosing.  No large

helpings of the good and passing on the

bad.  Love is a package deal!

Here's an idea for your Valentine's Day celebration (and mine!).  List all the things that "love" looks like and find something in each area to love someone with.  For instance, if you find yourself getting impatient, go out of your way to give something back to that person.  Give them a gift or an action that shows them they matter to you.  The next day, go to the next item on the list.  No "Pick 2" this week.

For further study: Exodus 34:6-7, 2 Chron. 5:13-14, Psalm 32:10, Jer. 31:3, Lamentations 3:22-23, John 13:34, Romans 5:8, Galatians 5:22-23, James 2:10, 1 John 3:1-24.

Happy Valentine's Day, friends.  Be blessed in your understanding of God's love!

Love,

Holly