Happy Tuesday everybody! I hope you're all having a great week. Today I want to share with you what I've learned thus far while reading the book of Psalm. Have you ever known people who just seem happy all the time?!? I'm talking about even when they're going through, they still possess a JOY that is immeasurable! Well did you know that we all can have that same JOY?! Notice I said we all can have that same JOY, not we all can have that same happiness. See JOY and happiness are two different things, and I got a better understanding of the two while reading the 4th chapter in Psalm. In verse 7 David writes, "You have given me greater joy, than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine." After reading this verse, I sat for a while and thought about what exactly that verse means. For the 1st time ever, I realized that there is difference between JOY and happiness which is shown in this verse as the two are contrasted. You see inward joy comes from knowing and trusting God. Happiness on the other hand is temporary and comes as a result of pleasant circumstances which in this case were the abundant harvests of grain and wine.
Think for a minute about things that make you happy.....For me it's things like a nice shopping spree, or trying out a new recipe that turns out to be really good, oh and finding a $10 bill at the bottom of my purse!! While all those things make me happy, I'm reminded after reading Psalm 4:7, that feeling of happiness is not only temporary but unpredictable. JOY on the other hand is steady as long as we trust God; JOY is a delight that runs deeper than pain or pleasure; JOY brings us peace in the middle of the storm. So I challenge you today, to take on a new attitude towards life. No matter what you're going through, whether you're having a great week or a not so great week think about the JOY that God gives us through the holy spirit and use that joy to smile throughout the day. Remember happiness is an emotion and temporary..but Joy is an attitude of the heart:)
***John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."***
Have a great week!
Oh and like last week, I want to leave you with another song! This one is a classic, and one of my favs which happens to fit in well with today's devotion: Joyful, Joyful from Sister Act 2:)
Hello all! I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but I'm back and ready to continue giving you a little dose of my daily devotion:) After finishing the book of Job, I knew that this would be a great chapter to blog about. This chapter involves so many lessons that we can all learn from, but what stood out to me the most, was the lesson of learning to be calm during the storm. For me this has been something that I am still having to learn to do, because I like to be in control of every situation to try and prevent those "storms". I like to know what's going to happen, so I can know how to deal with it way in advance. I feel that this prevents me from being caught off guard. However everyday God continues to show me who is REALLY in control. Even when we think we have it all under control, God can easily throw a wrench in a situation to show you who's boss, and how you respond when that happens shows God exactly how much you trust him. Take for example Job. He had it all..a wealthy man of upright character who was surrounded by loving family and friends. For Job 1:3 (NIV) states, "He was the greatest man among all the people of the East." Imagine having all that success and then boom...you loose it all. That's exactly what happened to Job. During series of events he lost his wife, children, and all his livestock. Shortly after reading what happened, I kept thinking I wonder what Job was thinking. I thought back to times that I went through the "storm" and remembered the thoughts that ran through my mind. I had so many questions, trying to figure out why this was happening. This was the same for Job, he kept asking questions, and trying to come up with a reason for why God was allowing this "storm" to come through his life. All throughout Job he questioned God, and when he didn't receive any answers, his friends stepped in and tried to provide him with some reasoning behind his current situation. However they were wrong too, which is so often the same thing that happens in our lives. When we don't receive immediate answers about our "storms" we begin asking friends for those answers. Instead what we should be doing is using those "storms" as a time to build our faith in the Lord. We must learn how to remain calm during the storm, and trust that even when we don't get the answers to those questions, God is still working on our behalf. I love the way that Job admits his wrongs in the end. Job 42:1-3 reads, "Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?" Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." THINGS TOO WONDERFUL FOR ME TO KNOW...my favorite part of that scripture. It's a reminder that although we may go through storms, if we just hold on we will soon see the rainbow!
***Romans 8:28 (NLT), "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."***
I pray you all have a blessed week! I leave you with one of my favorite songs right now, "HOLD ON" by James Fortune.
