What Is The Source Of Joy?

We want to be joyful people, but joy eludes us. It seems that some people have it and others don't. The Bible teaches we should be joyful but we are not. What is the secret to possessing joy?

"Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!"Psalm 64:10, NIV.

JOY
Joy is something beyond happiness, it is more than happiness because happiness comes from experiences or circumstances that are from an external source or event; but joy is regardless of events or actions, joy is in the heart despite events. We may look to things like money, job, family, or some successful project to give us joy, but it is fading and shallow. Joy does not need good things to happen to exist; it is apart from the world around us.

Joy is a gift of God. To rejoice is a spiritual activity. Scripture commands us to be joyful* and to rejoice. The source of joy must be the Lord, not the events of the world around us.

THAT LITTLE WORD "IN"
The verse says, "rejoice in the Lord," and "we take refuge in him." The first meaning is that the Lord is the source and object of the joy we experience. The second meaning implies that the saved are brought into something, that when we come to the Lord we have become included into something- Christ* with all the blessings of salvation.

LET
The verse begins with the word, "let." This suggests a decision. We have to make a conscious effort to make the Lord our joy and take joy in him. He will work on our hearts to grow the fruit of joy in us.

We need to...

• Recognize the Lord is the source of true joy.
• Maintain a relationship with the Lord.
• Confess the sin of refusing joy.
• Accept the gift of joy from the Holy Spirit.
• Resolve not to feel sorry for ourselves.
• Focus on the Lord and not our problems.
• Spend time in prayer and Bible study to strengthen our relationship with the Lord.

THE RIGHTEOUS
Only the righteous can know true joy. We cannot make ourselves righteous before God, the pure, holy, judge of the earth, but He gives it freely in His Son and the work Jesus did on the cross for you and me. When we come to Him, empty-handed, in faith, He gives us eternal life, and with it comes joy.

To learn more about having a relationship with the Lord follow this link:Click Here.

* Philippians 4:14,  *2 Corinthians 5:17

© Adron 5/21/13

How To Find Joy In Life.

Can you find joy in your life? There is hope from a truth found in the Bible. 

We all want to have a good life full of happiness and well-being. We often look for joy in things, it might be a new gadget, car, or clothes, a better marriage, job, hobby, or set of friends. We are tempted to think that status in a job or community will give joy, but soon these things prove weak, watery, and empty of joy.

THE SEARCH FOR JOY GOES DEEP
Our world tells us thousands of times every day that a thing or experience will give us joy. We see advertisements all day long; and discover it to be a lie, but we fall for it over and over. Many have ruined their lives chasing joy.

The ancient poet declares that he found joy and it is recorded in the Bible.

“You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound." Psalm 4:7 NIV.

WHO
The line quoted above is from a prayer-like poem and it is addressed to God. This poet had a relationship with God that gave him more joy than those around him.

FULL
This verse says that God can fill the heart with joy; not just give a taste of joy, but that God is able to fill us completely. There is no corner overlooked or space vacant of joy. This fullness suggests that the joy God gives affects all areas of our lives.

GREATER
Greater is a comparison that says one thing is better in size or worth. The joy the Lord gives is certainly that. He gives greater joy not just your average having a good time joy but greater than what the rest of the world knows.

WINE AND GRAIN
The wine and grain suggest the gladness of society and the of gathering wealth and goods. The joy the psalmist had is a joy that is beyond anything our circle of friends or family can give, and it is greater than the wealth, success, or a good harvest.

HE FOUND JOY
He found joy, he didn't say he was hoping to find it someday or he was looking for it. His statement is that he has it. His search was over because it ended in God, the source of true joy. Our hearts were made for God as His dwelling place, and were designed to find fulfillment in Him. We need to make our focus on finding our joy in God.

May you find your joy in Him today and always.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God follow this link: Click Here.

(c) Adron Dozat 3/3/13

Does Anybody Know the Future? Revelation 1:7

What does the Bible say about the future of humanity? It would be exciting to know the details of tomorrow or next year, but for most of us, it is not possible. However, it is possible to know the most important future event of the human race.

Look he is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen." Revelation 1:7, NIV.

These words are from the book of the Revelation of Jesus, often referred to as the Apocalypse. The opening statement is that Jesus is coming back wonderfully, and for most of us, it will not be a good thing.

ALL WILL SEE
Every eye will see Jesus. His coming is not just to a nation or a people or a church. It will not be spiritual or cultural, but in a way that every person will be aware of it. The words "All peoples" are universally inclusive. Not a single human being will escape the event.

HE BRINGS

What Is In The Future?

Mankind will grieve and mourn at his coming. It will be because of our sins, guilt, and missed opportunities to enter into a loving relationship with our creator and redeemer.  The chance to come to Jesus is not extended past the grave; the Bible says, "Today is the day of salvation now is the acceptable time."*. Those who mourn are those who missed the opportunity to come to his love.

THE GOSPEL
In the same book of Revelation, Jesus later declares an invitation. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him and he with me."**  Jesus invites us to a relationship based on his redeeming act on the cross where he took our sins upon himself and bore our punishment. He asks us to respond to his invitation to fellowship with him.

THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH VS THE PEOPLE OF?
Once we come to Jesus, we are no longer part of the world's system of allegiances. We are no longer people of the world; we become members of the Kingdom of God, we become the people of God, and the people of God will not be part of those who mourn.

JOY
Those who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior will have peace with God. For those who come to God, the fear of judgment is cast out by the love shown on the cross.

To learn more about coming to Jesus, follow this link: Click Here.

* 2 Corinthians 6:2, **Revelation 3:20
To read Revelation 1:7 in other translations, follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat 10/11/12

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How to Find the Path of Life. Psalm 16:11

We need to know the way of life, one that leads to peace with God, others, and ourselves. How do we find the Way?

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."  Psalm 16:11, NIV*.

BACKGROUND:
This verse is like a prayer of praise.  It is from one of the messianic psalms that speaks of the coming savior, but like many scriptures, this has more than one application.  We can use this verse to inspire worship, and yet we find instruction.

LIFE
The path of life is described as eternal, full of joy and pleasure, forever. It is a life in the presence of God, which must mean life in acceptance with and in accord with God. This life is associated with the image of a path; it is not a life of self-indulgence.
While we rest and do nothing. A path is a road we travel upon and make progress toward a destination; the destination of the path of life is itself life.

Path of Life Illustration.

Often, we hear the metaphor of the path of life used to illustrate a final end at the grave, but the opposite is the truth; the path of life here is eternal and ends with an unending beginning.

MAKE KNOWN
We often think the way of life is a thing to be earned or merited, but it is something that God makes known. We cannot find the way of life without God. This knowing is a knowing of experiencing something, different from head knowledge. Knowing something in the head is one thing, but truly understanding the path of life must be felt in the heart.

JOY
This joy is fullness of joy, not just the transitory and shallow happiness of this world dependent on external sources. This joy is unique —it fills us, but it is caused by God, not ourselves. This joy is associated with being in the presence of God; he is the source, he makes joy known, and he is the one who fills us with joy.  It seems God is not a cosmic killjoy who commands all kinds of 'don't have fun' rules, but instead is the very essence of joy.

PLEASURES
The pleasures of life are eternal; heaven will not be a boring place where we just sit on clouds, wear white, and play dumb harps, but it seems to have a sensual aspect of tactile pleasure. These pleasures are from the very hand of God, so they must be holy and yet be awesome.

THE REVELATION OF THE WAY
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me." John 14:6. And "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10. To come to Jesus is to come the way of life; he is the revelation of life.

To read this verse in other translations, visit this link: Online Parallel Bible.

(c)Adron Dozat 8/15/12

What Brings Joy To Our Hearts? Psalm 105:3

Many in our world are grim and desperately looking for some inner hope of purpose and joy.  Even people of deep faith struggle to find inner happiness. What is the source of joy?

“Glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

Psalm 105:3, NIV.

GLORY
To glory in something is like celebrating it.  We know what we glory in by what we talk about and what boast about.  You might glory in your job or accomplishment or family status.

HOLY
Today few rejoice in the Lord because we have lost a sense of His holiness. His holiness is a wonderful thing;
     * It is a foundation of God's goodness.
     * It means that God will not sin.
     * It means that He is above the wickedness of our world.
     * It means that God will act righteously and fairly in each of our lives and the affairs of men.
     * It sums up His character.

SEEK
We should continue to "seek the Lord."  To seek the Lord is not just for some spiritual elite; nor is it something that happens just once when we are converted.  Today's man rushes from place to place, from event to task and then rushes home to relax and unwind leaving no time to seek the Lord.

To search for God is a daily endeavor.  It looks for the Lord’s hand in our lives.  It is and an attitude that considers him and his word often, and every day.  It puts the pursuit of God at the top of our daily planners.

LET
To let something it to allow it to be or happen, it is to put nothing in the way and refuse to stop.  Here the word let is an action word and points to a decision.  It is to purposefully choose this thing.

HEART
“Heart” symbolizes the deepest part of the basic person, and on the level of my deepest person; our very hearts should be caught up in the joy of the Lord.

REJOICE
Rejoice is like joy in action and joy-giving expression.  It is when our hearts are caught up in joy in the Lord.  If our hearts rejoices in anything else than the Lord it is second best at best, or maybe even idolatry.  We rob ourselves of the joy we could have by denying joy access.

DO IT
We should “let” our hearts rejoice, and remove the barriers to joy, like sins, disbelief, and busyness that crowd the Lord out of our lives.  We need to allow ourselves to rejoice, even pray for joy.

If we "glory" in his holy name we will rejoice because our hearts will be fulfilling the spiritual purpose for which we were designed.

If your glory is the Lord then joy is in store for you- if you let it come.

The Lord is the source of our true joy if you want to know more about finding him then CLICK HERE.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the

(c)Adron Dozat 3/19/10

How To Find Joy In Modern Times

It is hard to find joy now days. We have problems on all sides, our wealth is shrinking, our quality of life is corroding, our relationships are becoming shallow, and there is war everywhere.

“Rejoice in the Lord you who are righteous. And praise his holy name.” Psalm 97:12, NIV.

A COMMAND
The Bible commands us to be joyful. When the apostle Paul was in prison facing execution he wrote of joy. The apostles sang in chains in prison dungeons. Legends tell of early Christians singing as they were martyred.

IN THE LORD
In the world we have little to celebrate but in the Lord we have everything to rejoice in.

• We have a Loving Savior who died on the cross for our sins.
• We have the hope of eternal salvation.
• We have many blessings beyond count.
• We have a calling and purpose.
• We are loved unconditionally.
• We are forgiven of the most heinous atrocities, (sins).
• We have communion with our Father and Creator.
• We have the fellowship of His family.
• We have the victory of the resurrection.
• We have the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
• And this is only the beginning.

IF WE DON'T
Not to rejoice is an insult to all that God has given us and done for us, and is a denial of God’s blessings.

POWER OF JOY
Joy is a weapon of the Church. Joy accompanied almost every movement and revival. Joy attracts the lost. Joy sets Christians apart. Joy and worship are linked together; and our daily prayer and devotional experience should be punctuated by exclamations of joy.

THE SOURCE OF JOY
Without the Lord you can’t experience true joy. Come to Jesus and accepted what he did for you on the cross. He loves you and died to pay for your sins, he took the punishment for your actions. He is risen in power and victory over sin and death and offers to us new life if we respond to him and come. Invite him into your life and receive the gift of salvation and the righteousness he gives and you will begin to experience a new life of joy.

DECIDE TO BE JOYFUL
Let us resolve to fulfill the command to rejoice. We may not feel joyful but we must obey the command to rejoice anyway.

© Adron 2/1/10

Could God’s Love Satisfy my Deepest Need? Psalm 90: 14

We are always trying to get our needs fulfilled. Our economy and culture is driven by selling satisfaction. The marketplace will create a need if to sell something. But where is our deepest need satisfied?

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Pslam 90:14

SATISFY
Nothing satisfies our longing hearts except Gods love. To "satisfy" means to fulfill a need, or meet a condition, or cause contentment. The Lord's love is all of this, and this is just the beginning of the depths of His love.

MORNING
This verse has two references to time, first is "morning." Morning is a beginning, and we should begin our day reflecting on God and his love. No matter how busy our day will be we should always start with Bible reading and prayer. It may also refer to our time here on earth.

UNFAILING
Our Father's love is truly "unfailing."We may fail Him but He won’t fail us. His love is stronger than any circumstance or action. It is a love of commitment bound by the very character of God. His love is unfailing because He himself is unfailing.

JOY
"Joy" and "gladness" are not the same as happiness. Happiness is a word derived from happening; it is a word that refers to the enjoyment of a circumstance or event. Joy is the reflection of an internal source; it comes from the Holy Spirit given to us at salvation. Happiness comes and goes with the mood but joy and gladness are from God.

ALL OUR DAYS
The second reference to time is all our days. Our Heavenly Father's love causes us to sing for joy without end. The joy and gladness that He gives has promise forever; heaven is a place of joy and gladness. This prayer starts on earth and ends in heaven.

OUR DEEPEST NEED- LOVE
Our Father demonstrated love when He entered our world as Jesus and died to pay for our sins so that he barrier of sin may be removed between him and us. If you have not found joy in God’s love it may be that you need to pray and accept His offer of salvation. If Jesus is your Savior and you still feel no joy and gladness in his love it may be that you have been looking for that satisfaction in some other way. Pray the prayer of this verse and seek satisfaction only in His Love.

To learn more about finding Jesus as your savior follow this link: click here.

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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(c) Adron Dozat