Go Out of Your Way to Share the Joy of Jesus

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  May I suggest that you intentionally go out of your way today to share some with a stranger?

            Strangers come into our lives daily!  When we go to the store, many of the fellow shoppers & clerks are strangers to us.  We sit in church some Sundays with people we don’t know on a personal level.  As we rush about our busy days, we encounter many strangers in need of a smile and an encouraging word.

Do we go out of our way to share the JOY of the Lord with them? Or do we simply look the other way with our own agenda in mind? 

            Consider how many times we may have disappointed our Lord by not taking advantage of the “divine appointment” he set up for us!

·        Remember that young mother with the tired, cranky, little ones trying to check out at the grocery store? She may simply have needed a word of encouragement or a little help while she paid for her groceries.

·        What about the older gentleman who was having trouble walking from his car into the doctor’s office?  Should we have offered an extra hand to help him feel steady on his feet…and maybe open that heavy door for him as he entered?  We never know when a small act of kindness might be the healing touch that stranger needs to make it through his day.

         Ephesians 4:32 was one of the Bible verses many of us learned as children…..”Be ye kind, one to another. “  That applies to strangers, too!  So, go out of your way to share God’s kindness today.  Have the gift of JOY ready for all the divine appointments God has lined up for you!

            Drink your JOY JUICE faithfully and carry a double serving for the strangers God will bring your way!

Entertain Strangers, Joyfully

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Make sure that you have plenty on hand when you entertain strangers.

            Entertain STRANGERS?????  That sounds “strange”…doesn’t it?  Verse 2 in Chapter 13 of Hebrews says: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” (NIV)

            When we speak of entertaining, we usually think of opening our homes to friends for food, fun and fellowship.  But how often have we turned away the opportunity to have someone in our home because we didn’t know them well enough, or our house wasn’t clean & nice enough or because we didn’t have time to fix a fancy meal.  The truth is, most people don’t care how your house looks or even what you serve them to eat.  They simply enjoy being loved and accepted. And what a great way to get to know someone—by having them in your home. 

              We should realize that people are sent into our lives for a reason.  They may not always be what they appear to be….some may be God’s special messengers to bless you in a glorious way.  Others He may bring to you because He wants to bless them through YOU. 

             Will you allow the JOY of the Lord to shine through you—even to the strangers of this world?  Remember, YOU are a stranger to some people , too. BUT we can ALL be instruments of His love and joy.

           Serve your JOY JUICE as you entertain strangers! Be a blessing and receive a blessing by sharing a double portion of the joy of Jesus with others. 

Put on Your Joy Glasses

                Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Be sensitive to those who may need some extra joy!

                 When you put on your “joy glasses” and look at the world through the eyes of Jesus, you will become more and more aware of the “divine appointments” God has scheduled.   In the Bible we can read many examples of these kinds of meetings.  For example, in Acts, Chapter 8, Philip was in a place where things were really “popping”!  There was a definite moving of the Holy Spirit….yet---God called him to leave there and go to the desert!  (This is one of those times that it appeared God was not making sense!)

           But GOD KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING!  And thankfully, Philip trusted Him enough to go.  You see, there in the desert, he would encounter his “divine appointment” with an important Ethiopian man.  God was already preparing the man’s heart for this appointment, as well.  The Ethiopian  was sitting in his chariot, reading Isaiah 53, which is the prophecy about the sufferings of the Messiah, Jesus.

            God guided Philip to approach the chariot and begin a conversation with this man.  He began by asking, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  That opened the door for Philip to be invited into the chariot and to share the “GOOD NEWS”!  The Ethiopian believed and was baptized! 

            Just as God used Philip, He can use you and me….if we are willing.  That “stranger”--- that just happens to come into your life today--- may be your “divine appointment”.  Be sensitive to God’s leading and share the JOY of the Lord with friends and strangers alike!

            Drink your JOY JUICE faithfully, so that you will be overflowing with His joy and sensitive to every divine appointment God has for you!

A Divine Appointment of Joy

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Keep an extra serving on hand just in case you need it for one of God’s “divine appointments”!

            If we are serious about making a difference in our world, about sharing the love and joy of the Lord….then God is going to set up some meetings, otherwise known as “divine appointments”.

            A divine appointment is exactly what it says it is …..an appointment designed by the divine creator.  God is sovereign…all knowing…all-powerful. And He schedules these appointments, sometimes because he wants to bless us….other times, because he wants to bless others through us!  How many times do we miss our appointments simply because we’re on our own schedule and don’t stop to consult The Divine Appointment-Maker?

            Throughout the Bible there are many examples of divine appointments. Time after time God leads the faithful to cross another person’s path and great things happen.

             In the book of Esther we see that she was in the right place at the right time and…as the scripture says, she: “came to the kingdom for such a time as this.”   God used Esther to save the Jewish people and His covenant with Abraham was upheld.  Because of Esther’s willingness to be in the center of God’s plan, she was blessed with the boldness to stand firm and be used of God in a mighty way that changed history!

            Are you willing to be used by God?  Ask Him to make you aware of the next “divine appointment” that he has scheduled for you.  An opportunity of JOY is waiting right around the corner!  Don’t be late!

            Take plenty of Joy Juice to your next divine appointment and be ready “for such a time as this”!

Offer Joy to a Stranger

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Try offering some to a stranger!

            It’s sad but true; in today’s world, we’ve attached a negative connotation to the word “stranger”.  We have to teach our children to be careful….not to talk to strangers and certainly NEVER to go anywhere with someone they do not know. 

            But, let’s not forget that there are many, many good people in our world that are strangers only because we’ve never met them.  A few months ago I went on a ladies’ prayer retreat. Most of those women were strangers. As the weekend progressed, we discovered that we had at least one thing in common….we loved the Lord and because of that common love, we immediately made a heart connection. By the end of the retreat, we were no longer strangers but “spiritual sisters”.

            Isn’t it wonderful how God can do that?  He can take perfect strangers and bring them together in such a way, that they feel as if they’ve known each other for a long, long time.  It’s all because of His Love. 1 John 4:19 tells us:  “We love because he first loved us.” 

            Today, may we be challenged to look for strangers God brings into our life.  That person in the checkout lane at the grocery store; someone we meet at the Post Office; a person who is sitting in the waiting room at the dentist’s office.  Whoever it is, consider that that God may have set up a “divine appointment”.  Share His love and joy with that person. And may His joy be multiplied in your heart and life.

            Enjoy the sweet JOY JUICE of Jesus and be intentional about offering some to a stranger today.

JESUS: The Expert on Service and Joy

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  And have your serve others a generous portion, as well?

            We use the word “serve” often, but how do we apply it to our own lives?  The best teacher on this subject—the expert of experts— is Jesus!  He served, as he went along “throughout his day.”  Many times he went “out of his way” to serve. And He served “in all kinds of ways.” 

            You see, Jesus had a servant’s heart, though He was the “King of kings”.  If we will follow His example and develop the humble attitude of a true servant,  our way of thinking will completely change.  A job title or position or our rights will become of little importance to us.  

            Some of the best bosses that I’ve ever had were those who never thought they were too important to do any task, whether it was emptying the garbage cans or making difficult executive decisions. In Matthew 20 Jesus taught that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant….just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”

            Do you expect others to always be serving YOU?  Or do you have the attitude of Jesus and look for ways to serve others?  If we want to experience a life of fulfillment and joy, we will desire a servant’s heart. 

Drink your Joy Juice faithfully. This will help you to serve others with a joyful heart.  

   

Say 'YES' to God and Be Joyful!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drink in the BEST serving!

 How often are you asked to do something and you know it’s a good thing, but you are overwhelmed with all the other responsibilities in your life! It’s hard for some of us to say NO, because we don’t want to disappoint anyone.  Many times we begrudgingly say yes and then are resentful of having to fulfill that obligation.   

            There are times when we DO need to say “no”.  Lysa TerKeurst in her newest book The Best Yes,  reminds us that we have all kinds of choices in life. Many of them…good!   But if we are not careful, we will say “yes” to so many good things, that we will miss God’s “best yes” for us.  We should be prayerful and careful to ask God  for wisdom before we give an answer to our many invitations.  Lysa writes: “In God’s plan, you’ve got  a part to play. If you know it and believe it, you’ll live it.  You’ll live your life making decisions with the ‘Best Yes’ as your best filter.  Your wisdom will help you make decisions that will still be good tomorrow.”

            Proverbs 3:13 says “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom.”  May we pray, asking God for wisdom and discernment to be able to say “Yes” to the God-things and NO to even good things…if they not what God has led us to do. Be a God pleaser, instead of a people pleaser!  As Elisabeth Elliot writes: “The greatest JOY in all the world is obeying Christ by serving others.” 

Before answering YES to the good things, ask God to show you His "BEST YES"!  That will lead to a calmer, more productive and joy-filled life!

Serve the Lord with Gladness and Joy

                     Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Before you were born, God knew you and everything about you!  That’s hard to comprehend, isn’t it?  I don’t pretend to even begin to grasp that concept… other than, HE IS GOD! 

In Jeremiah 1:5, God tells us that:  “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you.  Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.” He designed us for a purpose.  He gave us unique abilities, talents, interests and gifts…all to be used for His glory.  Are you fulfilling His plan for your life?  The Bible repeatedly tells us to “serve the Lord with all your heart”.  If we are serving Him with a genuine heart, then we will be sensitive to the needs of others and how we can help them.

Rick Warren tells us in his book The Purpose Driven Life: “For Christians, service is not optional, something to be tacked onto our schedules if we can spare the time.  It is the heart of the Christian life.”

  Mother Teresa once said, “Holy living consists in doing God’s work with a smile.”  My interpretation: sincere, heart-felt service to the Lord brings much JOY to your life!

Serve the Lord with gladness and seek God’s plan by fulfilling His purpose for you that He’s had planned since before you were born! Serve joyfully!  

Serve With a Joyful Heart

                        Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  If you have read Henry Blackaby’s  Experiencing God, you may remember that he tells us that “Jesus watched to see where the Father was at work and joined Him there.”   According to John 5:19, “the Son did only what he saw his Father doing.”

            So often, we make our plans without consulting God, don’t we?  We come up with a great idea, program or project and we expect God just to come along with us…without considering that His plan may not be anything like ours. We need to “watch and see where God is working and join Him there.”  This involves prayer and discernment.

            When we join God where He is already at work, author Joanna Weaver says,  “Service becomes a delight rather than a distraction. It becomes a natural overflow of our relationship with God rather than one more duty to keep us from what we really want to do.”

            Let’s ask God to show us where He is at work…and then, let’s willingly join Him there. Let’s pray that He will open the eyes of our hearts so that we will be able to recognize those “divine appointments” that He will bring to us, day by day.  If we are willing to be His vessel, He will show us what to do and when to do it….as well as give us a JOYFUL spirit as we serve.

Let’s spread the joy of the Lord by joining God where He is already at work…and let’s serve with a joyful heart! 

Invite Someone Into Your JOY Kitchen!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?    One of the favorite gathering places in our home is the kitchen.  Usually, there’s lots of talking, laughter, & working together to produce a meal…and, of course, the enjoyment of participating in the finished product around the kitchen table!

            If you think about it, the kitchen is the place where a lot of “service” to your family and friends takes place…acts of service for those you love.   Author Joanna Weaver writes about “Kitchen Service” in her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.     She says: “Kitchen service is not optional for Christians.  We’re supposed to serve others and show love to them----and, in the process, to represent Jesus to the world around us.”

            Do you look for ways to serve others as you go through your day?  Sometimes we are so busy with our agendas and list of responsibilities that we don’t see others in need.  As faithful Christians, we should be willing to put our agenda aside, if necessary, in order to minister to someone who is hurting or in need.  When the Lord quickens your heart to “serve”, be obedient.

             “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”   Ecclesiastes 9:10.  An amazing thing happens when we serve others for the sake of Christ—we are filled with a contagious JOY!!!  Invite someone into your “ JOY kitchen” today.

Serve some delicious Joy Juice from your "Joy kitchen" and watch the joy of the Lord spread from one person to another!  

The Gracious Hand of God

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Let’s thank the Lord that He is always preparing special servings for each of us.

            In the book of Ezra we read about how, after 70 years in exile, the captives from Judah were allowed to return to their homeland. Nearly 50,000 people made this journey. 

            Ezra 8:22 documents their faith.  They told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.”  They trusted God; and they knew that it was imperative to prepare before they even started their journey.   

            Do we ever move ahead on a project or a decision without prayerful preparation?  I’m afraid many times we do.  And when we do, more often than not, our plans fail.  We need to take a lesson from the example of Ezra and his people.  "They knew God’s promises to protect them, but they didn’t take that for granted. They humbled themselves by fasting and praying. And their prayers were answered.

            Too often we pray glibly and superficially.  Serious prayer requires concentration.  It puts us in touch with God’s will and can really change us.  Without serious prayer, we reduce God to a quick-service pharmacist with painkillers for our every ailment."  (NIV Life Application Study Bible notes)

             “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him….” Do we truly desire His gracious hand in our lives?  May we keep our eyes on Him and joyfully prepare for each new day by seeking His presence through prayer.

The Nail-Scarred Hands Hold Joy

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  The Father offers it to you personally.  Just take it from His loving hands.

            In his book God Loves You,   David Jeremiah tells the story of a quiet and lonely man, William Dixon.  "He had lost his wife and son, so had no family to call his own.  One day his neighbor’s home caught fire. Dixon and others ran to help.  They pulled an elderly lady from the flames.  As she gasped for air, she told them that her little grandson was trapped upstairs.

            At that point the people groaned because the stairway was impassable.  But William Dixon found an iron drainage pipe running up the wall.  Taking hold of it, he pulled himself upward and found the terrified boy.  He scooped up the child and scrambled back to the ground.

            A few days later, the grandmother died from her injuries, leaving the little boy an orphan.  The village people met to determine his fate.  Two volunteers came forward.  The first good citizen told why he would be the best choice because of the good home he could provide.  The second volunteer was William Dixon, the rescuer.  He said few words, but his bandaged hands spoke for him.  The hot iron pipe he had climbed to save the boy had burned his hands severely.

            When it came to a vote, the man with the scarred hands went home with the orphan boy.   His love, everyone agreed, was written in his hands."

            David Jeremiah explains: “The love of our Lord was also written on His hands—the two hands stretched out and nailed to the cross, where they flowed with blood that indelibly wrote His love for us for all eternity.”

            Find joy by taking hold of the nail- scarred hands. 

YOU are Engraved (Joyfully) on the Palms of The Father's Hands!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  With His own hands, God has created a special serving of JOY…just for you!

            Is it hard for you to grasp the truth that God loves you unconditionally?  We all make mistakes; we’ve made ungodly choices throughout our lives.  But He still loves us.  Yes, we disappoint Him…as when children disobey their parents.  Our selfish desires often lead us to take our eyes off of the Father and cause us to stumble.  BUT the FATHER’S HANDS are always outstretched toward us, ready to pull us up from the heap of despair and lovingly encourage us to start over again.

             Isaiah 49:16  (NIV) is a wonderful reminder of how much he loves us: ^“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;”

Sometimes this verse is misquoted as “I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands.” Actually the word picture in Isaiah 49 indicates that God has engraved not just our names, but our very selves, on his hands. The point is to show that God loves us, cares for us, and will never forget us.

            Picture yourself in the mighty hands of God; He lovingly holds us to protect us.  He will never forget us because we are ENGRAVED (carved, inscribed, chiseled, etched, impressed, imprinted) on HIS HANDS!  If that doesn’t fill your heart with joy….nothing will! 

            I'm jumping with joy that I’m engraved on the Father’s hands….just as YOU are! 

"At the Proper Time, He May Exalt You" (What JOY Awaits!)

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Even if you feel weak and unworthy, God still has a special serving…just for you!

            1 Peter 5:6 tells us to:

^6 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,”
 
Three things leap out at me as I read that verse:

1.      Humble yourselves… God wants us to know how much He loves us and how valuable we are as children of God, but often we become prideful and that’s what He is warning against here. We don’t need to be concerned with recognition for our “good deeds” or worry about being successful by the world’s standards.  God’s praise is the only thing that really matters and when we humble ourselves before Him, it pleases Him.

2.      The next thing in that verse that caught my attention was the phrase “the mighty hand of God”.  God’s hand holds power.  He is in control…even when it seems our world is spinning out of control.  When our faith is in Him, we have the security of knowing that He is protecting us with His mighty hand.

3.      And the verse ends with: “at the proper time, he may exalt you”.  Most of us enjoy accolades and awards for doing well.  But how much sweeter will the joy be when it is GOD exalting us…in the proper time.  

My Bible footnote explains this verse beautifully: "Humbly obey God regardless of your present circumstances, and in his good time—either in this life or in the next—he will lift you up."

            Let’s be concerned not with worldly rewards and trophies but look forward to being exalted by the mighty hand of God. What JOY awaits!   

The Father's Hands Cover You with Love & Joy!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  The Father’s own hands squeezed your special serving!  Drink it joyfully!

             As I’ve been reading and studying lately my attention has been drawn to the subject of “The Father’s hands”.  In my limited imagination, I try to visualize what those hands would look like.  I know they are hands which caress our hearts with love, and compassionately draw us close when we need comfort.  I see strong hands which pick us up when we fall and carry us when we are weak.  God’s hands are busy hands, never at rest and always working to accomplish His purpose.

            I can’t visualize God’s hands without seeing the nail-scarred, bleeding hands of Jesus, hanging on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  His hands are hands of sacrifice because of His love for you and me.

            Let’s look at the passage in John 10: 27-30 where Jesus talks about God’s hands:

 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

            Just as a shepherd protects his sheep, Jesus protects his people from eternal harm.  Doesn’t it bring you great joy to know that, if we choose to follow Jesus, we have the joyful security of knowing that we are in His hands?! What a safe and secure place to be!

             Take the Father’s hand and walk with Him along the path of joy.

Listen Intently and Joyfully Without Excuses!

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Wooohoooo! Are you listening?  I asked, “Have you had your JOY JUICE?”

            Many times we find ourselves hearing but not really listening. We tune things out, maybe because we have so much on our minds; we’re preoccupied with our problems.  Sometimes we simply choose not to listen.  What about when God speaks?  We certainly have no good excuse when it comes to not listening to Him.

            Here a just a few of the things God says to us. LISTEN INTENTLY:

• “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you.” Jeremiah 29:11
• “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5
• “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.”  Philippians 4:13
• “I will supply all your needs.”  Philippians 4:19

Do you hear what our Father is saying?  Why do we not listen to Him?  Is it the same reason we choose not to read the directions on the box that says  “assembly required”.  The instructions are there, but we often put them aside, believing that we can figure this on our own.  After a while we run into problems; we even get angry at the manufacturer …..THEN as a last resort, we decide to read the instructions! And it all makes sense!

God should be our “first resort”, not our last.  If we listen to His words of truth, trusting that He will do what He says, then we won’t need to look for excuses.  We’ll be following the directions toward a beautiful “product” call JOY!!!!

May we each listen to our Lord as He instructs us to drink our Joy Juice faithfully and make NO EXCUSES for not following His instructions toward JOY.

Walk Through The Door of Joy...NO EXCUSES!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Excuses, excuses!

            Why do we waste time thinking up excuses? You know, an excuse is NOT a reason….it’s just an explanation designed to avoid guilt or negative judgment.

           Rudyard Kipling wrote: “We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse."  Excuses make us fall short of achieving our goals. In the spiritual context, has God ever led you to a task and you responded: “Oh, I can’t do that!”  Then you give God an excuse?

            Moses did exactly that when God told him that he was the man He had chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses didn't want the job…so he gave God his list of excuses. The first excuse is one that we all will recognize. Moses suggested that God had the wrong guy for the job….he didn’t feel qualified.  Listen to what he said, in Exodus 3:11-12: "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you.”

            Has God ever given you a task that you felt you were unqualified to fulfill? Just as God answered Moses, He also says to us: "I will be with you."   You see, what we lack, God will supply.  Let’s quit making excuses and start spreading  the JOY of the Lord today!

            Remember, we have NO EXCUSE regarding that door of opportunity God has opened for us. Walk through it, trusting that where God guides, He joyfully provides!

THIS is the Day for JOY! No More Excuses!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Not yet?  Well, what’s your excuse?

            Sometimes our excuse is simply: procrastination!!!! 

Arnold was cleaning out the attic with his wife when he came across a claim ticket from the local shoe repair shop. The date stamped on the ticket showed it was over eleven years old. He asked his wife, "Do you think the shoes will still be in the shop?"

"Not likely," his wife said. “But it's worth a try."

Arnold drove to the shoe repair shop and, with a straight face, handed the ticket to the man behind the counter.  The man looked at the ticket and said, “Just a minute. I'll have to go look for these."  He disappeared to the back of the shop.

Two minutes later, the man called out, "Here they are!"

"No kidding?" Arnold called back. "That's terrific! Who would have thought they'd still be here after all this time."

The man came back to the counter and said, “They'll be ready on Thursday."

(Kent Crockett’s Sermon Illustrations, www.kentcrockett.com)

 

            How often do we put off and put off and put off what God has instructed us to do?  We’ll get around to it when we have more time or more money or when the kids are a little older.  The fact of the matter is: We can always find excuses.  Psalm 118:24 says:  “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”   What does God want you to do today? Please don’t procrastinate!  

            NO MORE EXCUSES….Drink the JOY JUICE of JESUS TODAY…and share His joy with others!

Don't Make Excuses for Not Sharing His JOY

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  If not, then what’s your excuse?

            It’s easy to make excuses…like why we can’t attend church or serve in some way.  BUT….if it were something like a shopping trip (ladies) or a ballgame  (guys)…..would we use the same excuses? 

Some years ago the magazine Moody Monthly ran a piece which included excuses which a person might use for not going to sporting events.  See if you “catch the implications” of these excuses:

• Every time I go, they ask for money.
• The people don’t seem very friendly.
• The seats are too hard and uncomfortable.
• The coach never comes to see me.
• The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.
• The band played numbers that I had never heard before.
• My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
• I don’t want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.” (as quoted by Charles Swindoll. The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart And 1,501 Other Stories. (Nashville: Word , 1998.) p. 189]

 You get the point?  Before we make our next excuse, let’s remember that God NEVER makes excuses when we call on Him! So, let’s follow His example.

Romans 1:20 tells us, “ For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--

his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen…, so that men are without excuse."

            Don’t make excuses! Drink that JOY JUICE faithfully and share His JOY boldly!

No Excuses! Share the JOY of Jesus!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  No excuses!

            All of us are guilty of coming up with excuses when we forget to do something or when we simply don’t want to do it!   Remember some of the excuses we used to try on our school teachers?  We’ve all heard the “dog ate my homework” excuse!  One of the best I ever heard was: “I lost my homework while I was fighting with this boy who said you weren’t the best teacher in the whole school!” Good try! :)

            What do you imagine God thinks when we try to give HIM excuses?  Like when we don’t read our Bible or pray?  Our excuse could easily be: “It’s just impossible to find the time!”  God might respond: “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”  (Luke 18:27)

We sometimes say: “I’m too tired!”  God answers:  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  (Matthew 11:28)

            Making excuses started way back with Adam and Eve.  Remember? Adam blamed Eve for making him eat the fruit…and then Eve blamed the serpent!  I guess it’s just human nature to not want to own up to our own bad choices. 

           

            When God leads us to serve Him in some way or to strive for a closer relationship with Him, instead of wasting time thinking up excuses, we need to spend our time praying and asking God to help us. Let’s quit making excuses so that we can experience the JOY of the Lord!

            Drink that JOY JUICE faithfully so that you’ll have NO EXCUSE not to share a double portion of God’s JOY with others!

Oh, JOY! Be an Encourager!

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Please encourage those around you to drink it faithfully!

            Why do we need to be encouragers to those around us?  I can think of several reasons right off the top of my head:

• It builds them up and makes then realize they have self-worth.
• It demonstrates a caring attitude.
• When you encourage others, you are displaying a radiant Christian example.
• EVERYONE needs an encouraging word.
• The world would be a much better place if we all determined to be encouragers!

BUT THE MAIN REASON I believe we should want to be an encourager is simply because “the Bible tells us so”!  Just as the classic children’s song says: “Jesus loves me this I know..for the Bible tells me so”.  The Bible also tells us to ENCOURAGE!  Time and time again we find words such as:

“Therefore encourage one another and edify one another, just as you are doing.”

 1 Thessalonians 5:11 

   In Hebrews 3:13 we read: “But encourage one another daily as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."

     Many other times throughout the Word of God we are instructed to “encourage”.  Are you being obedient?  You’ll be surprised at how much JOY you can share and how encouraged you will be, when you become God’s “encouraging mouthpiece”!!!

       Never forget the importance of drinking your JOY JUICE.  Make sure it’s flavored with the sweet spice of “encouragement”.