Apply JOY

Have you had your JOY JUICE today? Use your good judgment and you’ll find yourself faithfully drinking it in every day!

            Do you desire to be a wise person?  I sure do….but I know I have a long way to go, baby!  Growing in wisdom is a continual process and in order to become all that God intends us to be, He must have our cooperation! 

            We can read the Bible, but if we don’t apply it to our daily lives, there will be no growth.  We can say our blessings before meals, but if it just a memorized, rote prayer, we are not expressing our heart to God.   We can attend church regularly, but if we are not receptive to what’s being taught, then we will become stagnant.

            Allow me to share two of the many verses in the Bible that refer to growing in wisdom and knowledge. 

·        Psalm 119:66 is a wonderful prayer:  “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.”

·        Proverbs 1:5 “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”

          Do you believe that the Bible is God’s inerrant Word?  That’s the first step to wisdom! Do you believe that God hears and answers your prayers?  If so, you are on your way toward spiritual wisdom.  Listen to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to you through Bible study and prayer; hear and learn about His ways which are so much  “higher” than ours.  The path to wisdom will lead to JOY in the Lord!

            Seek wisdom by drinking faithfully the JOY JUICE of Jesus!

"Consider It Pure JOY!"

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?   Drinking it every day will remind you to react with kindness.

            Until we find ourselves in a pressured situation, we really can’t know the depth of our character. It’s easy to be kind to others when everything in our life is going smoothly.  But what about when you are being treated unfairly?  Or when someone you trusted betrays you?  Maybe it’s one of your children who has been hurt or your spouse gets overlooked for a promotion at work.  Even in the church there are occasions when people say or do things that we don’t agree with.  Do you always respond with kindness?   Impossible you say? Yes, without God.

            God wants us to grow spiritually and He uses these kinds of opportunities to teach us and develop those Godly principles which lead to the fruit of the Spirit.  So instead of complaining about our struggles, let’s thank God for being with us through them.  We are to earnestly seek His wisdom. 

            I never tire of reading the verses in James 1 that tell us:

            “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

            We can depend on God to fill us with His wisdom so that we can react to those tough situations with kindness because… the JOY of the Lord is our strength!

Ask---Believe---Receive JOY

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s just what you need to help you make good decisions.

            All of us find ourselves at times in situations where we have to make major decisions.  Sometimes the choices are obvious; but what about those times when we don’t have a clue which way to go? 

            Boy, do I have GOOD NEWS! There is One Who is always waiting and willing to point us in the right direction.  In James 1:5-6 we are reminded “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who give generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

            Maybe you have asked God for help in making a decision, but you still feel “blown and tossed” from one answer to another.  Stop and ask yourself if you truly have given it all to God.  Many times we pray about our problem or situation, but instead of leaving it at the feet of Jesus, we pick it right back up and try to “fix it” ourselves.

            Let’s remember what James said: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt……” Put your faith in God….110%...and trust Him to show you one step at a time.

       Don’t allow yourself to be tossed and blown by the storms of life.  Rest securely in the arms of God…the most JOYful and safest place you can ever be!

His Wisdom, His JOY

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drinking it faithfully leads to wisdom and understanding of the JOY of the Lord!

            King Solomon was noted as being on of the wisest men who ever lived.  Why was he so wise?  The Bible tells us that he prayed to God asking for understanding…and God granted him what he requested.

            We have that same privilege!  We can ask God, just as Solomon did, for knowledge, wisdom and understanding.  But keep in mind, it’s a life-long process.  We don’t just pray that prayer one day and wake up the next filled with everything we’ve always wanted to know! 

           

            When you find yourself in a situation where you truly don’t know what step to take next, seek discernment and understanding by surrendering it to God.  Ask Him to give you the wisdom and knowledge that only He can supply.

Proverbs 2:10-11 is a source of strength for those times when you are truly seeking God’s guidance.  “… for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you”

            When we try to handle our problems and make big decisions in our own knowledge and strength, many times we find ourselves in a big mess!  God, however, has the answer and He is waiting for you to come before Him and ask for His wisdom, His knowledge, His understanding and His JOY!

            It’s a wise thing to get into the habit of drinking His JOY JUICE faithfully and share it with others along the way.

The Knowledge of God's JOY

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  You KNOW it’s good for you, so go ahead and have a great big serving this morning!

            Knowledge is something we aspire to gain throughout our lifetime.  Children go to school to obtain knowledge and skills such as reading, writing, math, science ….and so much more.  Older students may choose to pursue more knowledge by attending college or schools which specialize in certain areas of interest. Even in our older years, we should continue to learn new things and exercise our thinking skills.  Knowledge is a good thing.  Right?

            In 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Paul talks about knowledge…but from a little different perspective.  He said: “We know that we all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  But whoever loves God is known by God.”

            Paul wasn’t saying that we should not use the brain God gave us….but gaining knowledge is secondary to the important trait of  Godly love.  Often, we allow our knowledge to “puff us up”. We may become arrogant and have a know-it-all kind of attitude.  And how many of us like to be around a know-it-all?

            Our desire should be to love God FIRST…Then pursue the best kind of knowledge--- that which comes from God and His Word. 

           Open the Word today and begin a new pursuit of Godly knowledge which begins with love and JOY in the Lord.

Pray! Pray! Pray! JOYfully Pray!

Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  With every gulp, send up a prayer for a child.

            This week we’ve been talking about how precious our children are to us and how we should be striving to be a good role model for them.  We agree that it’s important to pray for them and with them---as well has teaching them to pray from their hearts. 

            One of the most rewarding things about raising children is to witness them grow into young adults who love the Lord and live according to His Word.  That’s not to say that they won’t make mistakes along the way…that’s the way they learn.  And we  parents aren’t perfect, either! :)   That’s why it is so important that we all depend on God to lead and direct us.

            When we first give birth to our children, it’s hard to imagine that they will ever become adults….yet that time comes all too quickly.  Our role as parent changes when they become adult children.  We’ve spent 18 or so years investing in them and striving to teach them how to think on their own.  Then it’s time to relinquish that control.  They must make their own decisions.  Sometimes they’ll get it right and sometimes they won’t! 

            But one thing stays the same: our children will ALWAYS need our prayers---regardless of their age, their stage of life, or their circumstances! My sweet 83 year-old mother continues to pray for my siblings & me and all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Each of us desires her prayers because we know God listens joyfully to His special friend!

            Let's be diligent in praying for our children…regardless of their age.  And don't forget to always share your Joy Juice with each of them!

Teach Your Children to Pray with JOY

 Have you had your Joy Juice today?  I pray that you have.  Because whether you know or not…someone is watching your example!

            Are you in the habit of praying?  I’m not just talking about saying the rote blessing before meals or the “Now I lay me down to sleep” when we go to bed at night.  I’m talking about real, heart-felt communication with God.   Even a young child understands that prayer means “talking to God.” But they won’t know how to pray until they see it and hear it modeled before them.  It is NEVER too soon to pray with and for your children.

As parents hold their infant, they can pray for his/her growth and development, for his love for the Lord, for wisdom to make Godly choices.  Then as the child grows, if he hears his dad or mom praying, he will learn to emulate those prayers.  Before long, the child will be praying from his heart.  What a sweet joyful sound…to hear a young one praying.  If a child learns to pray when he is young, he is much more likely to continue to pray when he’s a teenager and an adult.

God loves to hear all of our prayers, because we are all his children.  But the innocent, sincere prayers of a child must touch His heart in a special way.  Encourage your children in their prayer life by helping them to memorize scriptures to pray.  For example: "Help me, Father, to rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, REJOICE!!!"

         Teach your children by example….now, go ahead and demonstrate how to drink your Joy Juice faithfully!