Joyfully Boast of the Lord!

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Hope you have….but let’s not boast about it!

            To boast means to brag on ourselves. One definition puts it this way: “To puff oneself up in speech.”  All of us have been around someone who boasts of all he or she can do or has accomplished.  It’s usually a one-sided conversation, and the only one enjoying it, seems to be the one who is boasting! One of my funny friends puts it this way….”He thinks he’s all that…and a bag of chips!” 

             Jeremiah 9:23-24 talks about boasting….but not boasting on ourselves. 

²³ This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
²⁴ but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

True boasting in the Lord is actually boasting of the Lord—boasting of His great attributes, boasting of what He has done for us, of what He is still doing and of what He has promised to do. When we are genuinely filled with the joy of the Lord, we can’t help but boast of Him.

 Our God is good! Our God is faithful! Our God is kind and just and righteous! May we constantly & joyfully boast of Him!

Is There a Fly in Your "Ointment of Joy"?

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  The Oil of Joy has a sweet aroma!

            Recently, I heard someone use the old adage “a fly in the ointment” and I began to wonder where that originated.  Ecclesiastes 10:1 (English Standard Version) says:

“Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;”
    

            That’s not exactly the same verbiage as a “fly in the ointment” but it’s pretty close.  It means:

“A small but irritating flaw that spoils the whole.” 

According to one online article, these days, ointments are chiefly used for medical purposes…things like rashes or skin irritations. In earlier times, ointments were more likely to be creams or oils with a cosmetic or ceremonial use. Literally, ointment was the substance with which one was anointed. 

Let’s think about it this way…God wants to anoint us with His Oil of Joy. Our enemy sends “flies” into our lives daily…irritants such as discouraging words, negative comments, doubts, circumstances that agitate us.  The “Oil of Joy” from the Lord is always fresh, but if we don’t guard our “joy jar” carefully, we may find “a fly in the ointment” which may spoil that personal serving.  

Ask God to help you guard your heart and your thoughts as you slather on the Oil of Joy, and let it permeate your world with His sweet aroma.

Firepots of Joy

          Have you had your Joy Juice today? Joy is like a spark that sets your heart on fire for Christ!

          I was reading my favorite book the other day and came across a term that made me ponder and smile.  The phrase was: "like a firepot in a woodpile".  Do you know where I found those words?  Nestled in the pages of God's Word! In Zephaniah 12:6 we read:

"On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch amonth the sheaves.  They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place." 

           The Life Application Study Bible explains: "This passage tells of how Jerusalem's enemies will be destroyed.  Those who oppose God's people will not prevail.  Eventually, evil, pain, and oppression will be abolished once and for all."

           Never do we want to take the word of God out of context, but my "joy-focused little brain" started thinking about how it would be a GOOD thing if we has such joy in our hearts that we were like "firepots in a woodpile"! We'd be setting the world on fire...for JESUS! And a world on fire for Christ would be a shining BRIGHT LIGHT!

          May we shine for the Lord by being like "firepots" of joy in the wood pile of life!

Greater Love Has No Man......

            Have you had your Joy Juice today!  As a Memorial to all our service men and women who gave their lives for our country, may we remember them with much honor, as we savor the joy of our freedom.

             Today is Memorial Day. Let’s refresh our memory about why this is a public holiday in the United States. Memorial Day was first recognized as a tribute to the memory of the soldiers who fought in the American Civil War but later, Memorial Day was expanded to commemorate the soldiers who fought in all American wars, including the World Wars. 

This is a great day to be reminded of the scripture in John 15:13:

 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

This is certainly an appropriate verse to honor the fallen soldiers who died for our country. But let’s never forget that Jesus willingly died for all.

            My Bible footnote challenges us: “We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, and he loved us enough to give his life for us.  We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love: by listening, helping, encouraging, giving and continually sharing the love and joy of Jesus!

            Have a joyfully blessed Memorial Day! Thank God for all who sacrificed their lives for you and me….beginning with Jesus!