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Joy to the World

"Joy to the world the Lord has come" this is a song we sing every Christmas time, and every year we go through the same routine knowing very well that for some of us by the end of the Christmas season our joy will be packed or thrown away with the Christmas decorations and trimmings. Today I want to remind us that the joy that God gives is not seasonal but is always there. He encourages us to "rejoice in the Lord always."


Rejoice in the Lord always



Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. This is an exhortation given to us by the word of God. God wants us to be full of joy. Webster's dictionary describes the word "rejoice" as being joyful and "joy" as great happiness or delight. God wants us to be joyful, that is why He says that we should rejoice in the good times and the bad times. He does not want us to pack away our joyful feelings with the Christmas decorations or throw it away with all the seasonal trimmings but as the bible says, we should rejoice always. Our savior has brought us joy. He said "my joy I give to you, not as the world giveth." Jesus Christ is the source of our eternal joy. All we have to do is believe in him. We don't have to be consumed by the dreaded feelings that can engulf us. We do not have to give in to our doubts and fears but if we look to him as the source of our strength He will fill us with His joy and comfort. Bad things will happen, we will suffer losses, plans may fail, dissappointments will come, we may get hurt, things may go wrong, but the joy of the Lord is our strength. That is His word and it will not change.


Shake off all despair


Today, shake off all despair, be strong and courageous even though life may leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Be strong, grieve your loss for a while but do not stay grieving because grief will consume you. David after the loss of His child rose up and begin to live again.


His strength is perfect
As you walk by faith God will cause you to be strong. Do not give in. Do not stay in wonderland. Shake off doubts and fears and rest in the Lord. Ask God to help you to embrace his joy, and change your thought life. Think on things that are positive and wholesome. Surround yourself with positive people. Reach out to those who radiate joy. Seek to be a channel of God's love and joy. Share your joy and enthusiam. Always remember as Robert Schuller says, tough times won't last but tough people will.



Rejoice!!!

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