Share a DOUBLE PORTION of JOY!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  When JOY is in your heart, you can’t help but spread it around!

             As God birthed “JoyJoy Ministries”, He gave me a passion to share a “double portion” of His love and JOY everywhere I go! Now…let me clarify that I am very human, so I don’t always feel and/or act joyful!  Talk to my husband if you want to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! J

            However, it is my heart’s desire to share the joy of the Lord as often as I can.  Won’t you join me? That doesn’t necessarily mean a speaking engagement or a radio broadcast…that means sharing along the way throughout each day! It might mean a smile or a kind word; it could be offering to help someone in need or spending quality time with a child.  We ALL should be “on a mission” to share JOY with others….a double portion, as scripture tells us. Six times in the Bible, specific reference is made to a “double portion.”

            Isaiah 61:7 promised a double portion of joy and blessing upon Israel: “Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.”

            EVERLASTING JOY…It can be ours by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. By living each day with the assurance that HE is in control and allowing the message of JOY to be IN US, radiate FROM US and spread THROUGH US!

            May God pour out a double portion of His love and joy into your life so that you may share with others!

Our Joyful Destiny

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Fill your life with the JOY of the Lord and walk forward into a glorious destiny that God has prepared for you.

            Are you boldly running forward into the future?  Or are you hesitant to make choices, worried that you will make the wrong ones?  If we rely on our own wisdom and knowledge, we are handicapped! We don’t always know what is best.  But no one is more qualified to gives us direction and guidance than God.  And He desires to lead us along the right paths.

            Proverbs 4:10-12 says:

¹⁰ Listen, my son, accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many. ¹¹ I instruct you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths. ¹² When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.

            As I pondered those verses, I thought of the many times I have stumbled.  Was it because I took my eyes off of Jesus and relied on my own strength?  Wisdom comes from learning from our mistakes and listening to God as He directs and often REdirects our path.  He desires to guard us and guide us every step we take…but we have to allow Him to do that!

            We will find our joyful destiny when we do as Prov. 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.”

Seek to Know GOD.....and Find JOY

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  As you walk through this day, walk in joyful wisdom!

            What does mean to walk in wisdom?  Charles Stanley writes that “as we walk in wisdom, we see God’s hand at every turn.  We know He is with us. We become more and more familiar with His voice…His prompting…His leading…His tug at our hearts.  We don’t merely know more about God—rather, we truly come to KNOW GOD in a deeper and more intimate way.”

             I once hear a pastor say that the difference between knowing about God and knowing God is about 12 inches….the distance between your brain and your heart! How true!  We can know all kinds of facts and history; we can memorize scripture and be in Sunday School every week.  We can earn perfect attendance awards, be present at all the church services and activities. We can know a lot about God—but to know Him, is a condition of the heart.

            “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 Ephesians 2:8-9

            Knowing God is a gift that we receive from accepting Him as our personal Savior and Lord of our lives.  We allow Him to guide us in our decision making, our words, our reactions.  We desire to become more like Him by studying His Word and applying the scriptures to our daily lives.  And we MUST be still and listen for His voice as He speaks to our heart.

             Seek to KNOW HIM and find joy inexpressible!

Soak Up the JOY

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today? Soak up the joy as you serve others.

            So often when we hear the word “serve”, we cringe.  Servant has a negative connotation for many people….especially when they feel as if they have no choice in the matter.  I looked up the word “servant” in the dictionary and found these three definitions:

1. a person employed by another, esp. to perform domestic duties.

2. a person in the service of another.

3. a person employed by the government: a public servant.

            All those meanings of the word “servant” are accurate in the “world view” of things.  But what about according to the Word of God? The Bible teaches much about  servanthood because the central theme of the Bible is the Servant of all—Jesus Christ.  Mark 10:45 says: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” 

"When we give Jesus Christ His rightful place as Lord of our lives, His lordship will be expressed in the way we serve others. True leadership is servanthood, and the greatest leader of all time is Jesus Christ. Servanthood is an attitude exemplified by Christ 'who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant' (Philippians 2:6-7). "  (GotQuestions.org, CEO, S. Michael Houdmann).

            May we be challenged to serve the Lord by serving others!  That’s a sure way to find JOY!

Do We Reflect the JOY of JESUS?

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Do you reflect the JOY of Jesus?

            When you look in the mirror, what do you see? I’m not talking about the physical reflection, the imperfections that we all readily see in ourselves on the outside.  Let’s take a deeper look…peer into the depths of your heart. Do you see Jesus?

            I recently read a story from The Word Today by Bob Gass that beautifully illustrates my point. The story tells about: "Bill who was a drunk…converted in a Skid Row mission. Before his conversion he had gained a reputation as a tramp and an alcoholic for whom there was no hope. But when he gave his life to Christ everything changed. He became the most caring person at the mission. He spent his days there doing whatever needed to be done. There was never anything he was asked to do that he considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up vomit left by some sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets used by men who had left them filthy, Bill did it all with a heart of gratitude.

           One evening after the mission director delivered his evangelistic message to the usual crowd of solemn men, one of them came down to the altar and kneeled to pray, crying out for God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept praying, 'O God, make me like Bill! Make me like Bill! Make me like Bill!' The director of the mission leaned over and said, 'Wouldn't it be better if you prayed, "Make me like Jesus"?' After thinking about it for a few seconds, the man looked up and asked, 'Is He like Bill?'  "

            When people look at your example, will they pray to be more like YOU because they see the JOY of JESUS reflected in your life?

The Joy of God's Benefit Plan

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drinking it faithfully brings lots of benefits!

            When people apply for a new job, not only do they want to know about the salary they will earn, but they also inquire about the “benefits”.   Today, let’s talk about a different kind of benefit package…GOD’S BENEFIT PLAN!  There is none other than can equal the benefits of a loving God who promises forgiveness of sin and eternal life! It’s the BEST plan ever; and it can be yours, just for the taking.  You don’t have to apply for the job; you don’t have to interview; you don’t have to worry about all the other applicants…because God’s benefits are so unlimited, so immeasurable…there is enough to go around for everyone!

            Charles Stanley says that “the daily benefits of following Christ are also tremendous—guidance, provision, protection, comfort, help in resolving life’s problems, and an outpouring of God’s presence."  Why would anyone not want to accept those wonderful rewards? Could it be that we don’t totally understand the truth that God WANTS to bless us?  It delights Him to pour out His blessings on His children.

            “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.” (1 John 3:1)   We are His children; and just as we love our children & grandchildren and enjoy giving gifts them, our God—so much more—lavishes us with His love gifts!

           

           When we learn to freely accept His gifts, knowing that we don’t have to earn them by applying for the “job” as His child, then we will be filled with “inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

           

Wisdom and Joy

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s concentrated with ingredients which bring wisdom and joy to your life!

            Wisdom and joy!  Those are two attributes that many of us desire.  But do we truly understand the importance of having those two characteristics as a “pair”?  Let’s focus on what they mean……

             “Spiritual wisdom is the capacity to see things from God’s viewpoint.” (Charles Stanley) And spiritual JOY is the calm assurance that God has everything under control, regardless of how “out of control” things appear.  When you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you can trust Him, rest in His promises and “be still and know that He is God”. PERIOD!  End of explanation.

            Yes, it takes faith, a consistent prayer life; and we must stay saturated with scripture to fill in the gaps when doubt begins to creep into our thoughts.   Listening to unwise, ungodly counselors can sometimes confuse us…if we are not “standing on the promises of God”, as the old hymn proclaims.

            Let’s keep in mind that wisdom and knowledge are not the same….just as joy and happiness are not the same.  Wisdom comes from the LORD; and joy comes from a personal relationship with the LORD!  May we desire to have both of these Godly attributes in our lives by allowing God to have complete control of every area. The path to wisdom: 1 Thess. 5:16-18…. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”  

            My prayer today is for the joy and wisdom of God to be poured out into your life!