"Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit"

           Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Drink it faithfully so that you won’t grieve the Holy Spirit.

            If you’ve been able to read or listen to our Joy Juice devotionals this week, it’s obvious that we’ve been talking about a difficult subject…GRIEF!  We don’t like to have to deal with it…personally or through a friend….because it’s hard!  It’s difficult to deal with our emotions; it’s hard to know what to say; it’s hard to know the right things to do.  That’s another reason we need to stay saturated in God’s Word. He will give us the wisdom to know what to say, when to say it and when to quietly share His love. When we are allowing God to be in control, we bring Him joy.

           

            There is a verse in Ephesians 4:30 that speaks of grief….but in a little different way. It says: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”   Does that mean that you and I can cause the Holy Spirit to grieve? Yes…sadly!

          The fourth chapter of Ephesians tells us that we grieve the Spirit by living like the pagans (4:17-19), by lying (4:25), by being angry (4:26-27), by stealing (4:28), by cursing (4:29), by being bitter (4:31), by being unforgiving (4:32). To grieve the Spirit is to act out in a sinful manner, whether it is in thought only or in both thought and deed.

            Refrain from doing anything that would grieve our Heavenly Father.  Instead, let’s always aim toward bringing Him JOY!

           

"I Will Turn Their Mourning Into Gladness"

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It will help you through the grieving process.  And all of us experience that at some point.

            We can all agree that grief is a part of life.  If you are not going through it now, I’m sure you know someone who is.  Many times we find it difficult to know what to say to someone when they lose a loved one.  Especially in the early stages when emotions are so tender and fresh,  we don’t need to say anything…just be there!  If they want to talk, let them talk.  If not, then just put your arms around them and cry with them.

            Consider these suggestions in helping those who are experiencing grief.

:

• Acknowledge the situation.
• Express your concern.
• Be genuine in your communication and don't hide your feelings.
• Offer your support.
• Ask how they feel; don't assume you know how the bereaved person feels on any given day.

And then when it’s our turn and we find ourselves grieving, we should remember one of the best things we can do is turn to the scriptures and focus on God’s Word.  There is where we will find hope…as in  Jeremiah 31:13 “ I will turn their  mourning into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”   

      There is hope in Jesus.  He will give us comfort and a God-sized serving of joy in Him.

"Rejoicing Comes in the Morning"

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?   It can never hurt…and most always helps!

             My first experience with death was losing my grandparents. Some of you have lost husbands, wives or children. All of us have lost loved ones.  Death is a part of life; and though it is not easy, God is there to help us walk through those valleys of the shadow of death…to give us comfort.

            When we have to say “Good-bye” to those we love, it is a heartbreaking experience. But it is easier when we know that they are Christians and without at doubt are joyfully spending eternity with Christ.  What a difference it makes to have the HOPE of heaven. When we lost my father, our family shed lots of tears because we loved him dearly and knew we would miss him. YET we experienced peace…and JOY.  Yes, JOY….in knowing that Daddy was truly “at home” with His Savior.  JOY in knowing that he was no longer sick; JOY in knowing that we will see him again one day.  That’s the kind of JOY you experience when you have a personal relationship with the Lord.

                      You may be grieving right now.  It may seem that your heart is broken into a million peaces.  Let’s pray for joy amidst the tears.   Psalm 30:5 encourages us by saying:  “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

            This is Joyce Ashley of JoyJoy Ministries empathizing with those of you who are grieving.  Let’s remind each other that we can always drink in the comfort that comes from the Joy Juice of Jesus.

           

"Draw Close to God"

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Don’t think it’s only for happy days!

            All of us experience grief. If we never had heartache or trials, we’d become self-sufficient, and we might not see the need to call upon the name of the Lord.  Have you noticed that we often wait until that time of crisis before we think to pray? 

            Praying should be our FIRST resort…not our last!  Before the pain of death, before the devastation of a fatal accident or the diagnosis of cancer, before the crushing blow of a spouse walking out….BEFORE these things happen, we need to be praying and drawing close to God.  James 4:10 gives wise instruction: “Come close to God, and he will come close to you.”   

            When our hearts are aching with pain, anguish and sadness, if we have already learned how to come close to God….then it will be much easier to call upon Him and feel His presence during our grief.  We “come close” to Him by believing and accepting Him as Lord of our lives.  We draw close by reading the scriptures and praying faithfully; by surrounding ourselves with Godly friends who help us to be accountable for our words and our actions.  And when we “come close to God…..he will come close to us”.  That’s a promise!

            The remainder of that verse commands that  we need to “clean up our lives”…..by allowing the dirt to be put through the cleansing agent called the blood of Jesus.  Let’s clear our minds of any doubts that may cloud and dilute our faith. 

           Draw close to God; you’ll find yourself drinking and serving the JOY JUICE of Jesus….even in the midst of grief.

           

"The Lord is My Strength"

         Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s something we can choose to drink even when we’re grieving.

            It seems that many of my friends have suffered heartbreaking circumstances lately.  And because of my love for them, my heart breaks, too.  Odds are that each one of us listening to this devotional today is either going through a time of grief or we know someone who is.  Sorrow is never a welcome visitor.

            Can we still have JOY amidst the tears?  Yes!  We find JOY by depending on the Lord. David reminds us in Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song”.

             Writer, Micca Campbell explains:

·        David believed God heard his cries.

·        He relied on God’s provision and strength.

·         David trusted in God’s help with all of his heart. This kept him from growing weak, losing heart, and giving up.

·         Finally, because David believed God was for him, in him, with him, and behind him one hundred percent, David was able to give thanks with a joyful heart.

            When you find yourself in a period of grief, can you do as David and call upon the Lord as your strength and your shield?  If we will trust in God, He WILL help us to get through this dark time.  Let’s look toward the rainbow after the storm, knowing that God’s treasure will be peace and JOY.

           We will all experience grief along life’s path, but amid the tears we can also find JOY in the Lord.

Follow the Shepherd Down the Path of Joy

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today? Are you feeling weak and tired?  Let God help you!

            We’ve talked a lot this week about being busy and stretched. Rest is very important but we often neglect that part of our physical health.  The 23^rd Psalm tells us that we should rest by letting Him lead us by those “still waters” and by lying down in the green pastures He provides. 

             How does a shepherd lead his sheep? First of all the sheep must recognize the shepherd’s voice; then they must trust him!  Phillip Keller writes: "The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost impossible to make them lie down unless four requirements are met.

·         Because of their timid nature they refuse to lie down unless they are free from all fear.

·        Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others

·         If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax.

·        Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel hungry."

            How does this apply to us?  We must recognize God’s voice and trust our Shepherd completely, so that we are free from fear.  We must allow him to take care of  our pesky problems and our physical needs, to give us wisdom in handling conflict and dissention. And we must stay filled with God’s Word to satisfy our spiritual hunger.

              Psalm 23 begins with  "the Lord," and ends with "the Lord forever." Let us keep our eyes on Him from start to finish.

            Follow the Shepherd as he leads you down the path of JOY!

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.