GOD Gives Me JOY!

I was staring out the window during Bible Study ... yes, during Bible Study. I was just mesmerized for a moment at the view of the trees outside the window. It is such a perfect picture that it looked as though the trees were placed in just the perfect position. I see the tops of the most beautiful, green trees that at this moment seem to be filled with joy as the limbs move gracefully with the wind, as the rich green leaves remind me of life, as the height of the tree reaches to heaven. I know that trees don't have a mind, but they do have a function to generate oxygen and food. Everything that God creates has a purpose, a special place in the puzzle of life on this earth.

Only God could have created such a complex system of life that no man has been able to fully understand. There is so much beauty in all that God has created on this earth. Beauty that we can just stop, relax and enjoy. The beauty in the trees, flowers, birds, butterflies (my favorite), ants, chipmunks, etc. There is no charge to enjoy nature and if you pay attention you will find it to be amazing, intriguing and a constant reminder of the power and wisdom of our God. This ignites the JOY I have within.

Even our bodies are too complex for even the greatest of physicians and scientists to understand everything. They know and see as things are revealed to them but don't understand the cause or origin. I was watching the Discover channel and I 'discovered' that when our arteries and/or veins get clogged, new arteries or veins develop to route blood around the blockage. They are called collateral arteries and collateral veins. They are just temporary structures to reduce the impact of a blockage until a fix can be applied. It is amazing how God created our bodies with automatic recovery systems; how the body regenerates itself and body parts become stronger to compensate for a loss. This ignites the Joy I have within.


Where is the source of your JOY?

My JOY comes from God. The truth is that everything I have, including me, comes from my God. God created me, designed me, gave me gifts to be used according to His will, empowered me to walk above the elements of this world, gave me His knowledge through His Holy Spirit so that I can see, think, touch beyond the limitations of man ... God created me!


How do I know that God created me? The Bible tells me so ...


Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3


And because God created me, I know that I am amazing. Each day along my journey, I discover more about this new creature that accepted Jesus Christ as her Saviour and realize the strength and power I have through His Holy Spirit. I discover how simple life can be when we let go of our material, worldly values and trust in God. I have learned to relax, slow down and enjoy living.



My J-O-Y comes from G-O-D

Only God can give me P-E-A-C-E

Only God can give me unconditional L-O-V-E

Only God can give me H-O-P-E

Only God can give me S-T-R-E-N-G-T-H

Strength to F-O-R-G-I-V-E

Strength to love my enemies

Strength to stand alone for my values and beliefs

Strength to affirm my belief in Jesus and risk persecution

Strength to love others in the midst of my own personal storms of life.

My J-O-Y comes from G-O-D, in the name of J-E-S-U-S

Thank you, Lord, for JOY. For it is your JOY in me that gives my life purpose, continuously. For it is your JOY in me that gives me Hope for eternal life with Jesus. Thank you for helping me to know Jesus and embark upon my spiritual journey. Thank you for the JOY that I have within as I strive meet your expectations for me. Thank you for unconditional love and forgiving me as I forgive others. May your Holy Spirit continue to guide my path, order my steps, and remind me to put on your armor, be cloaked by your word so that I may hold onto my JOY. Thank you, Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

JOY is Giving to Others

The greatest joy to me is not my response to that which I receive, but rather my response to that which I give.



To see the smile upon someone's face...


To see a spirit lifted up from darkness ...


To see excitement replace hopelessness ...


To see happiness overshadow despair ...


To see a bounce in one's step dismiss fear ...


To see comfort overcome grief ...


To see joy emit from confusion ...



You see, it is not the action that is the focus of joy; but rather the result. It is not what we do but how it affects others. It is not the size of the action but the magnitude of the response. It is not the price tag of the gift, but the invaluable light it ignites in others. Our joy is enhanced as we spread it to others. Our light shines brighter as we reach out to others, as we spread the goodness of God so that others may receive God's Holy Spirit and the resulting joy that we already have.


Remember joy is an internal feeling that we can only get from our belief in Jesus Christ and our receipt of God's Holy Spirit in our soul. This joy is everlasting. This joy becomes the core of our being; who we are because of who's we are.



Pseudo Joy


Sometimes we seem to focus on what we give to others, particularly at Christmas, the holiday of buying gifts. Sometimes we seek to purchase the special gift to purchase for those we care about (family, friends, co-workers, etc.). Usually the gift is purchased at a store and we spend as much as we can on each person. If someone else provides a gift of higher monetary value, we feel overshadowed and our gift may not seem as 'special'. The focus being on the purchase price of the gift. Or maybe we our gift did not seem to be pleasing to the recipient. It doesn't matter the purchase price, we never see them wearing or displaying the gift and they don't speak of it. Where is the joy?



Another question I have is how long do the benefits last for these material gifts? My answer ... not very long! Why? Because the focus is only on temporary excitement for a moment of happiness, a moment of appreciation. Of course, this is what we should expect from a worldly experience ... only temporary moments of happiness and then a return to the darkness of worldly life.




Real Joy

Real joy is everlasting. It exists through the good times and bad. Real joy is spiritually based and cannot be achieved through any materialistic means. Real joy is giving of yourself, your time, your feelings, your gifts.

I believe that a better expression of our belief in Jesus and our gratitude to God for sending His Son to die for our sins and setting us free is to commit an act that would answer the question 'What Would Jesus Do?". Doing as Jesus is a great way to say I BELIEVE. [Of course, as Christians our goal is to be like Jesus everyday so we don't really need one day set aside but I am just going with the flow!]



What would Jesus do to help hungry people?


What would Jesus do to help homeless people?


What would Jesus do to help jobless people?


What would Jesus do to help uneducated people?


What would Jesus do to help children and youth?


What would Jesus do to help senior citizens?


What would Jesus do to help disabled people?


What would Jesus do to help others find forgiveness?


What would Jesus do to help others find love?


What would Jesus do to help others find peace?


What would Jesus do to help others find joy?



Didn't Jesus pass along the Great Commission to us? Isn't it our task to go out and 'touch' others with the gifts God has given us to plant the seeds of Jesus? Aren't we Christians supposed to help Jesus by feeding his sheep?


I believe in God's word. If we do what it says, we will find joy. I believe in God's Holy Spirit. If we do what He says, we will find joy. Jesus commanded us to love God and to love others. If we do as Jesus did, we will find joy.


Study the Bible and listen for God's instruction and direction through His Holy Spirit. If you have accepted Jesus, you will find joy. If you have not, try Him by so you too may have internal joy through all life situations and circumstances. Read the section below on 'How to be Saved, then pray to God, declare your belief that Jesus died for release from our sins, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, & commit to repent (change your sinful ways).


Then build a new life, start your journey towards a spirit-filled, joyful life with one God, believing in His Son Jesus Chris, and being filled with His Holy Spirit.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Join a group of Christians with programs that will help you grow in your knowledge and understanding of God's word; grow in the application of God's word to our lives; grow in sharing God's word with others.

God bless you and may the joy from the Holy Spirit reside within you and ignite your light forever.

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How To Be Saved

EVERY PERSON IS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (Jesus Christ), that whoever believes in Him (Jesus Christ) shall not perish (die and go to hell)but have eternal life.John 3:16
EVERY PERSON IS SINFUL AND SEPARATED FROM GOD.
For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death .Romans 6:23
EVERY PERSON HAS BUT ONE WAY TO REACH GOD.
Jesus said to him,"I am the way and the truth and the life,no one comes to the Father (God) except through me." John 14:6
Christ died for our sins...Jesus was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures.1 Corinthians 15:3-6
EVERY PERSON IS CALLED TO MAKE A PERSONAL DECISION TO RECEIVE AND ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.
But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. John 1:12
For by grace you have been saved through faith;and that not of yourselves,it is the gift of God,not as a result of works, that no one should boast.Ephesians 2:8-9
EVERY PERSON MUST INVITE JESUS CHRIST INTO THEIR LIFE AND ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST MEANS REPENTING and TURNING TO GOD.
"Behold, I (Jesus Christ) stand at the door and knock;if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him..." Revelation 3:20

You, too, can accept Jesus Christ this moment by asking Him to come into your life. You can do this by praying a prayer like this:

Lord Jesus, I need you. I confess to you that I am a sinner and have sinned against you. Please forgive me of my sins! I turn my life over to you and accept You as my God and Lord and Savior. I invite You to come into me and to take control of my life in every area of my being. I give you permission to be my Lord and Master forever. Thank You, Father God, for forgiving my sins -- past, present and future -- and for sending Your Son, Your only Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and to give me eternal life. Thank You, Father, that You have promised that You will never leave me or forsake me now that I have asked you to come into my life. I pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen."

If you prayed that prayer, or a prayer like that this, you are now a child of God, you are a member of His family! You will have eternal life with Him forever!

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JOY Makes You GRATEFUL

When you wake up in the morning ...
When you are feeling blessed ...
When obstacles appear along your journey ...
In the midst of your storm ...
When you start to feel hopeless ...
When people say you can't ...
When your dreams seem impossible ...

THE JOY WITHIN YOU WILL MAKE YOU GRATEFUL FOR THE

BLESSINGS YOU HAVE TODAY AND WILL RESTORE YOUR

HOPE FOR TOMORROW!

Joy is that constant good feeling that comes from knowing Jesus, knowing that you are blessed, knowing that you are God's.

Joy exists a-l-w-a-y-s. Joy exists during good times and challenging times.

Joy is strengthened during our spiritual journey. As we focus on our relationship with God (His divine plan for us, and our obedience to Him), we grow more into our spiritual being and become less focused on worldly entities. As we move toward the spiritual realm, our internal joy increases. We find this feeling of ecstasy in realizing the love and power of God which is available because of our belief in Jesus Christ.

Joy, Joy, Joy in my Heart!

Is there real joy in your heart? If so ... How strong is your joy? How deep is your faith? How convicted are you in you spiritual beliefs? Do you wear your spiritual armor so that the devil cannot steal your joy?

Paul writes in Ephesians 6 that we need to wear the whole armor of God to withstand the schemes of the devil. First this tells us that the devil will try to attack us. Second it tells us that if we stand on God's word (truth) and have faith, we can be strong against the devil's attacks. The joy we have inside, that comes from being filled with God's Holy Spirit, has the strength of God behind it. Psalm 27 says that the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid". God's power is so awesome that we have no fear on our spiritual journey.

And because of the above we remain grateful to God for his mercy and love in rescuing us from the darkness caused by our sinful ways by sending His son, Jesus, to die on the cross as a living sacrifice (required by Jewish law at the time) so that we may be forgiven and have restored relationship with God. Without Jesus we would be separated from God and probably would have been destroyed. But, Jesus lived and because He lived, we live, we have joy ... and for that we are grateful.

I had a dream and woke up with the question on my mind "What is the difference between being grateful and being thankful?" Of course, this has plagued me for a few days and probably will for a few more. At 4:30am I was online seeking an answer to the questions. Well here is what I discovered thus far:

• Thankful is an appreciation for an event or action; an appreciation that what one hoped for occurred.
• Grateful is an internal expression of thanks.

Some dictionaries expressed no difference in the two words. But when a difference was documented it focused on grateful being an internal expression. So, to me, being grateful is a stronger, emotional response and comes from deep within. Grateful is an expression which to me implies action.

We are grateful to God for his blessings. We testify that we never would have made it without Him; where would we be without Him; 'it' could have been me without Him. When we are grateful we should have a testimony as an expression of our thanks for God's love and care. Our testimony may be expressed through the use of our gifts in song, writing, acting, etc. to spread the word of God's goodness. Our gratefulness may be observed in the joy exhibited in the way we walk, talk and respond along our journey.

Because we have joy, we are more than thankful, we are grateful. We understand that we don't walk alone. We understand that God takes care of us. We understand that we are powerless. We understand that God gives us wisdom. We understand that because of His love for us, we live through Jesus Christ. We are grateful and we yield to His understanding and trust in the Lord for all things. Nothing is impossible for God!

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Today Dear Lord, we thank you for your love and mercy that saved us even before we confessed our love for you, in the name of Jesus. We can look back in our lives and see that we were protected from many situations. We were diverted from danger. We realize that it was because of You that we came through situations; that we recovered from illness; that we rebounded from job loss; that we succeeded when we were expected to fail; that we survived when our loved ones deserted us. It is because of You that many of us are here today. We thank you. Thank you for opening our spiritual eyes to see your works all around us. Thank you for keeping us strong to hold onto our joy when the devil tries to snatch it away. Thank you Lord. Help us to continue to grow in knowledge of your Word and its application to life. Help us to grow spiritually and be filled more with your Holy Spirit and less of the world. Help us to understand your plan for us individually and collectively. And help us to continue to be grateful for Jesus and the relationship we have with you. We submit these requests in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I Lost My JOY

You can't lose your joy!


You can misplace it for a moment, but you cannot lose that which rests in your heart and soul. You may think you have lost your joy but remember ... Once you have JOY, it is always within you!


Sometimes along our journeys, illness, divorce, loss of job, death of loved ones, and other circumstances of life may cause us to question life itself. What is the purpose of life? Why are these things happening to me? What am I supposed to do now?



God gives us joy as the presence of His Holy Spirit within us. The power of His Holy Spirit is within us. Let me repeat ... THE POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT IS WITHIN US. This is power that is beyond what man has and what man can create. This is spiritual power that we can use to rise above the ills of this world and walk on earth in the spiritual realm. Joy gives us the ability to exist above worldly circumstances and refuse to be overcome by them. Joy gives us hope in the realization that God will take care of it all. Joy reminds us to be faithful in our journey and not let the devil steal our joy and take us off the spiritual journey we travel.



I've lost my joy...for a moment. When I realized I was trying to let go of that which is the core of who I am, I quickly got on my knees and prayed to God to help me hold onto my joy. I can't change situations or circumstances but I can hold onto my joy during the storms of life.


The company I worked for, my employer, let me go. I was downsized. I was laid off. I was fired. My company merged with a larger company and all leaders were dismissed. At first I was scared. I wasn't the first to be released and everyday I knew today could be the day I am 'tapped on the shoulder'.


Then one day I was driving down Woodward and on a building [I never saw during the 2 years of driving past] were the words "EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT". First I wondered where the words came from because I had not seen them before. I realized later that on this day the lights of the letters were on wherein they are usually off during the day. Well, I then felt and overwhelming feeling of peace.

• I went from feeling anxious, fearful, unsure, and a little angry to JOY.
• I was reminded that my God will take care of me.
• I was reminded that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for me, my life.
• I was reminded that I have not the spirit of fear.
• I was reminded that the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid.
• I was reminded that through my belief in Christ, I can do all hings.
• I was reminded that no weapon formed against me shall prosper.
• I was reminded that I never walk alone; God is always with me, supporting me, carrying me, lifting me up above my enemies.

I started to feel good. A smile came to my face. Tears formed in my eyes. I heard the words from the song playing 'there's a blessing in the storm'. I began to think of positive things like I really needed a break. My blood pressure was increasing at each doctor's visit. I felt tired. I didn't have time to do that which I thought God really wanted me to do. I felt a loss of purpose of life. So, maybe this was a good thing. Maybe this is a time for life change. Hmmmm!

Well, on this day, I walked into work with a bigger, sincere smile. I walked with confidence. I was ready for 'that moment' whenever it occurred and started to think about what my response would be. Something peaceful and joyful. Perhaps I would say 'thank you' to God.

One day my joy seemed to disappear and was replaced with fear and hopelessness. On another day, my joy seemed to return through a simple message that created a strong reminder. The reality is that my joy never left. It was always within me. My logical, worldly mind stepped in front of my spiritual mind. I was blind for a moment, living in a moment of darkness. In that place I would not stay because long ago I decided to follow Jesus. I confessed my belief that He is our Saviour and because He died on the cross, we live and have restored relationship with God. I no longer live in darkness. So for that moment I drifted to my own limited understanding and rationalization. I felt powerless and could not see how I would survive. But because of my spiritual growth, God's Holy Spirit brought me out by reminding me of His power, His will, and my need to yield to Him, trust in Him.

Life is going to happen! Situations and circumstances will occur to which we have no control or influence. We can only influence our own reaction and response to life. We can see like the world with limited vision. Vision that often only sees the negative potential. Or we can see like Jesus through our spiritual eyes. Vision that is given to us by God's Holy spirit and sees the positive, God's plan. Faith is often called 'blind faith' because we don't see the entire picture, we don't know what God has planned for us, we don't know what blessings are waiting for us. We do have faith in God to take care of us and through our faith we can wait patiently for God to reveal his plan to us. We have to be prayerful, meditate, and be obedient to the messages God gives us.

There are blessings in the storms of life. Just rise above the storm like eagles who position their wings such that the winds of the storm lift them up to soar above the storm. God will lift us and hold onto to us during the storm and after the storm we will have the blessing of a breakthrough, wisdom, insight, ever-lasting JOY.

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Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13 New King James Version]

WHAT's THE BUZZ ABOUT JOY

ARE YOU LIVING WITHOUT JOY?

Joy is the highest feeling of excitement and satisfaction for living.

Joy is God's Holy Spirit within us that sets the foundation for peace and love.

When I think about JOY ...

• I think of where it originates? Where does it come from? What is its source?

• I think of how long it lasts? Is it only for a moment, situational? Is it forever?


• I think of who it impacts? Is it for my benefit? Is it to be shared? How?


• I think of how difficult it is to keep people, circumstances, situations and life events from stealing my joy!

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Let's talk about JOY!

JOY IS LIKE BEING HAPPY ... ALWAYS!

Happiness is tied to events or circumstances. It is viewed as temporary; it has a start time and end time. Happiness occurs during a moment in time and then it disappears. What happens when you are happy? You smile. You glow. You feel positive about life and the people around you. Even strangers may get a smile and encouraging word. When you are happy, it overwhelms sadness, sorrow, and pain.

Joy is the happiness that is consistent during all events of life ... during the storms of life and the rainbows of life. Joy helps us to receiving blessings during our storms. Joy allows us to reach out to others during the storms of life. Joy has us praising God during our illness. Joy takes the energy out of depression. Joy removes the pressure of guilt. Joy eliminates the urges for cigarettes, alcohol, drugs. Joy allows us to stand during our grief.

Joy is behavior. Joy is attitude. Joy is satisfaction. Joy is continually seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty. Joy is always seeing the blessings, even in the midst of the storms of life. Joy knows there will be storms and they will pass. Joy knows that wisdom comes as a result of our storms.

Wherein happiness is temporary and tied to events, Joy is forever and is tied to but one event...LIVING! To live is to believe that God will take care of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.

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What is the Source of JOY?

IF YOU DON'T HAVE JOY ... ARE YOU REALLY LIVING!

Joy is an internal feeling. It originates from deep within our heart and soul. It permeates our being. It represents the core of who we are as a result of who's we are!

Joy is one of the greatest gift from God that we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and are filled by His Holy Spirit. Once we believe in who Jesus is then we can LIVE ... with JOY! We believe that God created us and loves us unconditionally. And because of His love for us He sent Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins (a sacrifice was required by Jewish law) so that we can be forgiven for our sins, set free from our sins and have the opportunity to renew/strengthen our relationship with God.

Joy comes from knowing that God has taken care of us and will always take care of us. Joy knows that we never walk alone. Joy knows that we never would have made it without Him. Joy knows that even when we didn't acknowledge His presence, God protected us, blessed us. Joy knows that only God could have brought us through our circumstances and situations of life. Joy knows that God loves us unconditionally because He was before we came to Him; He blessed us long before we knew Him. Joy knows and loves God, in the name of Jesus.

Joy is the energy, the power given us from God's Holy Spirit. Joy is the power to stand immovable against the temptations of the devil. Joy allows us to smile when friends hurt us. Joy allows us hug those who hate us. Joy allows us to help those who speak negatively about us.

The Lord is my light and my salvation, so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. [Psalm 27:1-3]

Joy replaces fear. Joy removes worry. Joy overwhelms hate. Joy stomps out hurt. Joy overshadows pain.

JOY IS POWERFUL !

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How Long Does JOY Last?

JOY - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow !

Joy is ever-lasting and ever-present.

There is no time limit on Joy. It doesn't burn out like a candle. It does not fade like a light bulb. It does not erode. It does not decay. It does not spoil. It does not crumble. The strength of our Joy comes from God who is all-powerful, all-present, all-knowing, all-loving.

Joy emerges when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and you are filled with God's Holy Spirit.

We are not perfect. When we make mistakes and respond without joy, we just ask God for forgiveness and strength to respond to the next situation with joy.

Joy is a change in lifestyle. It becomes us. It is not something we do on occasion. It is not somewhere we go on Sunday. It is not someone we become when we feel like it. Joy is our desire to live like Jesus. Joy is our desire to live according to God's will. Joy is our desire to spread the gospel to others in the way God has destined for us.

Joy does not know time. When issues will be resolved...When a breakthrough is coming...When the pain will go away ... When I will find peace ... Joy knows that God is in control; He will take care of everything. God has a plan, His will, His time. His thoughts and ways and higher than ours. His peace surpasses our understanding. We must have FAITH and in our Joy have patience to wait on Him.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13]

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Who Does JOY Impact?

Your Joy Touches Everyone!

Joy is the emission of God's Holy Spirit within us.

Funny how we take notice of strangers around us. People we do not know will recognize the joy within us. When you walk with joy, everyone you encounter is touched by the energy, the radiance. People want to know what you have and how to get it.

People you know and encounter daily will ask you "How do you smile always? Don't you every have a bad day?". People will remark "He/She is the happiest person I know. Always smiling."

Joy impacts everyone around us. As our joy allows us to respond positively to negative situations, others will notice that we didn't get angry, didn't curse, didn't yell, didn't pout. Joy allows us to be calm, patient, unresponsive. Joy allows us to say nice things and be encouraging to those who hate and attempt to persecute. Joy reminds us that the battle is not ours, that God is in control. Joy helps us to see beyond the expressed behavior to the source. Perhaps a person is experiencing issues. Perhaps a person is sad, depressed. Perhaps a person is lonely. Perhaps a person is overwhelmed with health issues. Perhaps the person is in our space because God knew we would respond to them with joy and plant a seed of hope that will lead them to also believe in Jesus and be filled with God's Holy Spirit.

Hmmmmmmm! God works in mysterious ways. We are his people. He made us. Our journey is His plan for us. The people we encounter in the gr ocery store, department store, doctor's office, on the freeway and presented for a reason. Our neighbors, co-workers, church family, friends are in our space because of God's divine plan. We are their beacon of life that will lead them to Him. We are the examples of living with His joy. Our behavior, our reaction is the torch that He uses to light the flame within others.

We do not realize that others are watching us. You may be surprised to know that because of the joy that flows through your veins; the joy the radiates from your pores; the joy that puts a glow in your eyes...you are watched. You may also be criticized, persecuted as people fight that which they don't understand. Remember joy is powerful ... with joy we have no fear and stand immovable on our faith in God!

The devil may attempt to use other people to steal your joy.

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How Do You Hold onto Your JOY?

Joy is valuable!

The devil desperately wants to steal your joy from you and will use people, situations and circumstances to steal your joy. The devil seeks to find that which bothers you the most to cause you to respond un-joyful. The devil will use those closest to you: family, friends, co-workers, neighbors.

Have you ever encountered someone that 'couldn't stand you' even though they didn't know anything about you? Has anyone ever just started talking to you about their personal circumstances while you were minding your own business in the grocery or bank line? Has anyone approached you with anger which you did not understand because you hadn't done anything to that person? Has anyone accused you of wrong behavior for no reason? Has anyone approached you with complaints about someone else?

These are attempts to steal your joy!

But with Joy from God's Holy Spirit, we are powerful and stand strong, grounded in our faith, armed with His word, wearing the full armor of God so that the devil's attempts are not realized. God's Holy Spirit alerts us to the devil's presence and we respond with Joy and Love.

We have to work hard at holding on to our joy. We are sometimes weak. We are sometimes bruised. We are sometimes tired. And during these moments, the devil sets his attack. And during these moments, we really have to call on God and seek his power for our joy to resonate, blinding the enemy with kindness. God's power will yield the evil spirit powerless and removed from the person so that you can plant God's seed of salvation.

An attack to steal your joy is an opportunity to be used by God to plant the seeds of love. That seed could be an observance of your joyful response to a negative situation. That seed could be your expression of love to your enemy. That seed could be your display of kindness in response to rudeness.

We know that our reward lies beyond this world as we seek to live in Jesus' kingdom where a life of joy is eternal.

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May God bless you with joy from His Holy Spirit and

May you realize the power of JOY in your life, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. [Romans 5:1-5]