Too Busy for Joy?

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Don’t get too busy to drink in your own personal serving. 

            If each of us listed our daily activities in a journal, we might truly be surprised at how much we try to accomplish in one day’s time!  Come to think of it, that might not be such a bad idea.  If we kept a log for a few days, then we could pinpoint those things that are “must dos” and those things that could be postponed or completely illuminated!  We’d be able to see where our priorities are!

            May I ask you a personal question?  Without seeing a written list, can you sense that your priorities are out of order?  If GOD is not first, then all the rest will tire us, keeping us running without a purpose.  But if we allow God to be our shepherd, then we can experience a “spiritual peace and rest” that comes from knowing Him.

            The 23^rd Psalm says: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.  He leadeth me beside the still waters.”  

             That scripture portrays a vision of peace and rest….to lie down in green pastures and to stroll beside the quiet, still waters.  That’s where God wants to meet us each day.  Let’s be intentional about taking time out of our busy day to commune with the Lord; then maybe our day won’t feel so much like a treadmill---Running fast, but going nowhere!

           Take the time to “lie down in those green pastures” and experience God’s rest and JOY.

Focus on Your Joy Gifts by Resting in Him

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Focus on the joy gifts God has especially for you!

             Sometimes I find it very difficult to focus, do you?  It’s especially hard when we’re tired or when our mind is cluttered with so many things.  Many of us are caught up in such a busy lifestyle, that we try to pack 36 hours into 24 on some days.  And the result is often: exhaustion!

Sleep deprivation is common in our busy society. Sleeping disorders are on the rise and the impacts can be seen in the increased caffeine consumption, lack of production on the job, and the more widespread cases of diabetes and depression.  How much rest we get is also an important safety issue.  Sleep deprivation is blamed for approximately 100,000 automobile accidents and 1500 fatalities each year!  We should never underestimate the importance of a good night’s rest!

 

Let’s think about this from the spiritual standpoint!  Psalm 16: 9 sums it up beautifully:

           ^"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure."

            When David penned these words, his heart was glad. He knew the secret to JOY…a relationship with God.  When we have a daily walk with the Lord, our heart will be filled with gladness and we will find ourselves rejoicing in His presence.  When our hearts are joyful, our bodies and minds are much more “at rest” because we are focusing on what is TRULY important.

            REST IN HIM and let Him fill your heart with unspeakable JOY!

Find Rest, Peace and Joy in Christ

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Don’t tell me that you’re so tired that you forgot!

            Do you ever find yourself really having a hard time concentrating and remembering things, simply because you are so weary?  There are many things that demand our time.  Some of you who are listening have a young family and that in itself is a major responsibility.  If you have a job outside the home, you are expected to give your best efforts to your employer.  There are church activities, civic organizations and many good things that we desire to be a part of.

            Though our reasons are different, every one of us experiences weariness.  Our bodies get to the point where we crave rest.  Young moms, sometimes I am sure you wonder if you will EVER get to sleep through the night again!  But those times do come and go…and then we fill our days with other “busyness”.  

            If we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves running in circles….staying busy but really not accomplishing much!  As in everything, we should seek God’s wisdom in determining His will and purpose for each day.  Sometimes He may simply want us to “rest” and get renewed in Him.

            In Matthew 11: 28, Jesus tells us to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” 

           

            If you find yourself weary and “heavy laden”, do as Jesus says and “Come to Him.”  He is waiting with arms open wide, to renew your spirit and fill you with His strength and JOY.

            Find rest in your relationship with Jesus as your drink in His love and joy.

"The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength"

           Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It may be just the thing to boost your energy level!

            Most of us try to pack so many things into our day that by the time the sun goes down, we are physically exhausted!  Some of us may even admit that we wake up tired!  Though there are those who truly do have health issues that sap their energy and make them weak, many of us simply don’t make wise choices.  We overbook and over-extend  ourselves---misjudging what we can realistically get done in one day’s time.

            We need to realize that our physical condition and our spiritual health are connected.  If we are healthy spiritually…by consistently spending time in prayer and Bible study, it will help us to make wiser decisions regarding our choices.  We need to give ourselves permission to say “no” to things that are going to stretch us too far physically & emotionally--- and keep us from being what we need to be for our family.

       The truth is: we all need a large daily serving of that “booster” I like to call JOY JUICE!  Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that “The JOY of the Lord is our strength.”   We all experience times of weariness.  But God has given us His Word which, when applied in our lives, provides renewal and strength for our hearts and minds.

            So as you look at your schedule of things to do today, make sure that Bible study and prayer are on the top of you list.  Don’t get too busy to sip the JOY JUICE of Jesus throughout your busy day.

            Slow down long enough to experience God’s JOY as He fills you with strength & wisdom.

Give the Valentine's Gift of Love and Joy

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Hope you have plans to share with someone special!

            Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day….just in case you needed a reminder!  There will be gifts of flowers, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, cards, jewelry and a variety of special expressions of love being exchanged throughout this day!

             Everyone loves to be remembered…whether it’s by a friend or a sweetheart; but… those flowers won’t last forever.  The candy will be eaten and enjoyed, and all that will remain are the extra pounds!  Each gift, though much appreciated, will one day fade away.  BUT there is one gift that will NEVER lose its value…and that’s the love of Christ!

            Jesus willingly gave His life for us!  Knowing that we are sinners, He still allowed Himself to be nailed to that cruel cross to pay our sin debt.  Now that’s a love gift that can never be equaled. 

            Because of His sacrificial love, we can look forward to an eternity of JOY!  Can you imagine anything more wonderful than spending forever and ever and ever with Jesus?  Heaven will be beautiful…beyond our comprehension; and all we have to do to be sure that we spend eternity there, is to freely accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

            “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13   What a delightful cup of JOY JUICE filled with love!

           Be ever mindful of the love of Jesus! That’s a Valentine’s gift that can be enjoyed every day of the year! 

              

Pray with Joy!

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  I’m sure you have---if you’ve spent time with God in prayer.

            “Prayer is a two-way conversation with God the Father and one of us, his children.” Peter Lord writes in his book Hearing God, “Prayer is one of the primary sources of fellowshipping with our Lord, but we must open our hearts to what he has to say.”

            “Do you talk very long on the telephone when you are not sure there is somebody on the other end?  Of course not! You need to hear the other person’s voice to have a meaningful conversation.  So, too, is prayer transformed when it moves from a monologue to a dialogue---when you listen to God speak after you have spoken to him in prayer.”

            Someone has wisely said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so we could listen twice as much as we talk.  When we learn to listen to God, prayer is vitalized.  It is valuable in our lives, and it becomes very exciting.

            Let’s evaluate our prayer life.  Is it dull and routine?  For many of us, it may even be nonexistent on some days.  It should be a worshipful experience when we go to God in prayer because we recognize the voice of the One Who loves us supremely.  When our prayer life is a personal exchange with our Father, then it will be overflowing with JOY!

            Drink the Joy Juice that comes from an exciting prayer life and a personal relationship with Jesus.

God Speaks! Will You Joyfully Listen?

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  I pray that you have, because it will help you to hear God’s voice much more clearly!

            It is important that we read the Bible consistently because God speaks to us  through His Word.  We know we should read it, but sometimes we don’t FEEL like it, do we? We should do it anyway!  Sometimes we don’t think we have time!  We should make the time! I saw a church sign just this week that said “When it’s the hardest to pray is when we need to pray the hardest!” I think the same thing is true about reading God’s Word!

           Think about it like this:   When you want to have a conversation with someone, how do you begin? Do you stand in front of the person and hope they will talk to you? That might work, if the other person is outgoing enough, but usually we begin a conversation by engaging the other person by speaking first. It's the same with God! He loves to hear us talk to Him, and it's in those moments that we prepare ourselves to hear the voice of God.  In an ordinary conversation, we speak, then listen for the response of the other person. With God, once we've prepared our hearts to listen through prayer, we're more likely to hear His voice.  He may not speak to us through an audible voice, but He does speak to us in many ways. 

• He speaks through His Word
• He speaks through our thoughts
• He speaks through conversations with others
• He speaks through circumstances

Be attentive and learn to recognize His voice!  You’ll then be able to experience that indescribable JOY in the Lord!

           Let's pray for each other to  hear His voice today.