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Friday, September 29, 2017

Root of Bitterness or Fruit of Joy? Your Choice!




           Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Drinking in the joy of the Lord in a consistent and faithful manner leads to better emotional, spiritual and in many cases, physical health.  Research proves that! 

            Stephen Stevens wrote (The Wounded Warrior): “Some experts estimate that up to 80 per cent of health problems can be traced back to one root cause—unforgiveness.” 

            In Denise George’s book Cultivating a Forgiving Heart we find a lot of research on the effects of unforgiveness and bitterness.  She says: “…problems associated with grudge-holding 
unforgiveness include high blood pressure, insomnia, stomachache, clinching and grinding of teeth, depression, stiff muscles, low energy, anxiety, dizziness, headaches, deep sadness and so on.” Then she goes on to tell us: “There is a tiny flower called a saxifrage, sometimes called a ‘rock-breaker’.  It grows secretly in the crevice of strong, solid rocks.  It sends down a tiny root in the soil around the rock. As that root begins to grow, it becomes so strong and so powerful, it can literally crack the rock.” 

            Do you see the analogy here? “Given enough time, the small root of bitterness in our own hearts can grow so strong and so powerful, it can destroy our lives.” 

           May we ask God to help us replace the root of bitterness with the fruit of joy!

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Open Your Heart Toward Joy



            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Scoop up an armload of joy to share with others throughout the day!

            What are you carrying?  We all have loads, burdens, hearts full of something.  Peer deeply into your own heart and see if you find love, joy, peace….all kinds of fruit of the Spirit.  Or do you, instead, find anger, resentment, an unforgiving spirit…which can lead to bitterness. 

            When we recognize the stench of bitterness in our lives, we need to confess it and ask God to help us get rid of it.  If we nurture it, it will grow and take over our thoughts, our attitude, our decision-making. 

            Mark 11:25 says: “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”   Do we want God to forgive us?  Of course, we do!  Then, we should be willing to forgive others. 

                Linda Sheperd gives us this effective word picture: “Imagine that one day you look up to see Jesus with his arms outstretched toward you.  You smile, so wanting to draw near to him, so wanting his comfort in exchange for your pain. But you discover you can’t reach back. Your arms are full of bitterness.” 

               Let’s loosen our grip on any bitterness and unforgiveness that we may be carrying….and open our arms toward joy in relationship with Jesus!

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Bitter or Better? Choose Joy!



            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Or are you instead, choosing to bask in your bitterness! 

            That’s not a very nice way to start our devotional today, is it?  Asking someone if they are enjoying their bitterness?  However, since bitterness is no respecter of persons, I guess that means we ALL can ask ourselves that question. Do we have bitter places in our heart?

            In Proverbs 14:10, we read this nugget of truth: “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.”   “EACH HEART” the verse says. Yes, bitterness is something that all people…from all walks of life and all stages and ages, must deal with.  But we DO have a choice in how to handle our hurts and those we feel have wronged us. 

            Writer Crystal McDowell says: “Each of us has a choice to become better or bitter in our lifetime. The better is that God loves, forgives, and makes a way for His people to escape bitterness. The bitter is a lifetime wasted in regret and anger—burdened and burdening others. We were created for more. We were born again to conquer the world, Satan, and the flesh through the grace of God. Be free today from bitterness and be better!”

            Bitter or better?  Let’s choose JOY!