We are already nearly three-fourths of the way through 2014!
As I mentioned at the beginning of the year, my word for this year is joy.
If you look up the word joy or joyful in a Bible concordance you will find that God's Word
tells us what produces true joy.
While a new handbag, a fabulous thrift store find, or a fun outing might make me happy,
what brings deep, abiding joy is found in loving God, loving Who He is, and loving His ways.
Psalm 45 speaks prophetically of Jesus and tells us in verse seven that He loves justice and hates evil
and that because of this God anointed Him with the oil of joy more than anyone else.
We don't often see pictures of a joyful Jesus
and I wager that we don't often think of loving justice and hating evil as a joy producer.
When our values line up with the plumb line of God's values,
instead of being at enmity against His ways,
instead of our mind, will and emotions waging war with our spirit and the Spirit of God,
we begin to experience the peace and joy of God.
Want joy?
I encourage you to do a little Bible word search of your own.
It's interesting to find out what produces real, abiding joy.
still following,
Maybe we don't see a lot of pictures of a "joyful Jesus" because while on earth His efforts were centered on "the joy set before Him" (Phil. 2). (Thanks for stimulating my thoughts/study on this subject, Elizabeth.)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, Rebecca!
DeleteAs I read I thought of the old song, 'If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus comes into your heart. That's our only source of true joy. Thank you for the reminder to live in joy!
ReplyDelete~Adrienne~
I forgot that song! Thanks for the reminder, friend!
DeleteAmen Elizabeth, I agree and I also think having a thankful heart brings us joy
ReplyDeleteas well...........Everyone goes thru dark times, but even so, we can still have a
deep abiding joy because we know HE never leaves us or forsakes us, and that we have a home awaiting us in heaven, where everything is perfect in everyway.
Hoping He comes and gets us soon.
Blessings, Nellie
Nellie, my heart beats with yours in longing to see Jesus come and make the wrong things right in this sin twisted world.
DeleteThis makes me think of the old Bible School song, "I've got the joy, joy joy joy down in my heart..Where? down in my heart to stay!" I believe Biblical joy is one that can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of believers...It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Gotta know Jesus to have true Biblical joy! Thanks Elizabeth for bringing ours hearts toward truth! Have a great weekend. Blessings!
ReplyDeletePatty, I think you're right, and I love that old Sunday School song!
DeleteHi Elizabeth! Your image and quote made me smile...what a lovely expression of joy. Sounds like you are learning a lot about your word for 2014. Thank you for sharing about it too. I seem to get mixed up between happiness and joy sometimes, and they are different. I do think one leads to the other, don't you?
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Ceil
Ceil, I think happiness is way more circumstantially dependent than joy. I think joy is rooted in our faith and trust in Jesus.
DeleteHello there! We are neighbors today over at Barbie's Weekend Brew! I love this and have found that a joyful Jesus feels the most authentic... for joy is 1/3 of the Kingdom, yes? (Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost... for this is the Kingdom of God! Rom 14:17) One of my most favorite Bible movies is called The Mattew Movie and it is word for word the Gospel of Matthew - and that Jesus? Oh my... JOYFUL! I love it!
ReplyDeleteI visited your blog and commented that we're neighbors, then came back and read my comments and saw you had said the same to me! And we're both Pacific Northwest girls, too!
DeleteHey there "neighbor!!" Popping by from Barbie's to say "Hi!"
ReplyDeleteJoy was my word for last year. I'm all about living a joy-filled life. It's pretty amazing considering that my husband lost his job on the 2nd of January that year. I still went forward with the post I had planned for that day, introducing my new word for the year, then. I can say, God DOES bring us JOY in the journey.
Wow...are we really 3/4 through this year? My word is RESTORE this year. I've been expecting God to restore so much from our four years lost out of five. I'm still believing and trusting. He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. ;)
Best wishes to you and yours for an extraordinary summer weekend!
Diane, how blessed we are to have the deep joy of the Lord, even when happiness is lacking due to circumstances!
DeleteI certainly agree. You shared the focus of the Word very well, as usual. AND you put a photo on this that was a very adorable one. Made me grin. AND, I'm disappointed that I'll be in Tacoma next week, for a week, and won't be able to pop down and see you, Linda, Katy, or my dear sisters or others around and about. Oh, well... doing a different God-job this week. But will miss you, DEFINITELY!!
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip, Joanne!
DeleteBeautiful post as the photo so well depicts "joy". I have always thought of Jesus as expressing joy in & through His actions. In other words, when He called Zaccheus down from the tree, I see Him walking to his home, probably arm around Zaccheus' shoulder -> joy. I see Jesus sitting by the fire, waiting for Peter, anticipating the conversation desiring to tell Peter "feed My sheep" --> joy. I see Jesus stopping the stoning of the adulterous woman -> joy. And I see Jesus inviting Thomas to touch His wounds dispelling doubt --> joy. Thank you for reminding me this morning that joy comes from doing the Father's will. Not always easy but always joy producing. Have a blessed Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I think you are right.
DeleteWhat is joy? It is not "happiness" to me but a deep seated peace and knowledge if God. And yes doing His will and living with Him produces a joy in the midst of trouble and in the heights of happiness.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and thanks for sharing on Sunday Stillness.
Janis
Thank you do, Janis, for all you do to host the link-up each week!
DeleteI talked with my tween and teen today about finding your joy in Christ. We watched a movie earlier and one of the lead actors lost his life to a battle with drugs. We talked about money and possessions and how contentment and true joy can only be found in that personal, one on one real time relationship with Jesus. Happy your "one word" is still speaking to you and that you continue to grow from your study. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leisha. And thank you for all you do to host the link-up each week!
DeleteThat really is a picture of joy!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Kim!
DeleteIt's been one crazy year for me. So many unexpected turns and twists have kept me a little off balance, and it's hard to believe it's August already. But joy is that wonderful feeling deep down inside that only comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, being filled to the brim with His Spirit. It's what causes me to find the silver lining, no matter what storm clouds arise.
ReplyDeleteDayle, I'm so thankful for the joy that Jesus gives. And, I'm so thankful that soon you will experience the sweet joy of having a grand baby!
Delete