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.