Never Hide God's Joy

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Don’t hide it from others…share it!

            This week we’ve been talking about “hiding God’s word in our hearts”, so that we will be prepared for what 2017 may bring.  We know that God will always be there for us, but we want to be prepared, as well.  Let’s resolve to read, study and memorize more scripture this year.

            We are reminded that God’s mercies are new every day; we can depend on His faithfulness.  But we must also remember that we are to obey his commands, and we can’t obey then, if we don’t know them…that’s why studying and meditating on scripture is so important.   When we begin to really focus on God we’ll be able to “taste” and “see” that the Lord is soooo good to us.  This fills our hearts with JOY and we’ll want to share it with others.

      Mark 16:15 tells us that Jesus said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”  Who was Jesus talking to? First, he was speaking to his disciples.  He was giving instructions for them to tell everyone that he had paid the penalty for their sin and that those who believe in him will be forgiven and live eternally with God. (from footnote in NIV Life Ap.)

            But we need to realize that the command is also for us, too!  We as believers, are disciples of Christ.  That means we should be sharing our faith with everyone who God brings across our path.  Many times we share using words, other times it’s our actions and our attitudes.  Showing love, forgiveness and mercy toward others is a good way to reflect the JOY of Jesus!

            May we “go into all the world” and share the JOY of Jesus!