|
Monday, June 7, 2010
Peace and Joy...For Today (by Paula Carpenter)
JOY in Trials.
It's the name of this ministry. But let me be honest, I haven't felt much joy in my trials of late. Disappointment,
heartache, fear, loneliness, anger, sorrow and depression~ those I felt! I tried not to let it get me down. Every
morning, I got out of bed with the determination that this day would be different. This day I would have the fortitude
to withstand Satan's attacks. Every evening, I crawled back into bed wanting nothing more than to bury my head under
the covers and hide from the events of the day. The day where Satan found every chink in my armor and stormed his way
in. Joy seemed like an emotion that, at least in my world, simply didn't exist.
In true theater
fashion: Enter stage left (Or in this case through the front door)- Emma Grace. My 6 month old niece came over
last week to spend the day while my sister in law took Misty (my 15 year old niece) to the Orthodontist. Within
the first 15 minutes of her visit, she managed to teach me a lesson on what Joy really was. How? By
sitting on a blanket in the middle of my living room and playing with my dog...and laughing almost uncontrollably! Everything
Baby Girl did was funny to Emma. If Baby kissed Emma's knee, Emma laughed. Baby wagged her tail,
Emma grabbed it and laughed. Baby rolled over onto her back, and Emma laughed until she lost her breath.
Since my hours
of watching Emma Grace pull Baby's ears I've begun to think about all the examples of joy I see and
hear around me. It's in books with titles like "Overjoyed", "7 Things that Steal
your Joy" , "Joy Breaks" and "Boomerang Joy".
You hear it in Christmas songs (Joy to the World); traditional hymns ( Joy Unspeakable), Southern Gospel (Karen Peck's
Joy in the Journey); Children's songs (Joy Down in my Heart) and Praise and Worship music (The Joy
of the Lord).
And suddenly a thought hit me: Joy isn't just an emotion. It is a state of mind! Don't
believe me? Ask Mr. Webster:
Joy: Noun
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness
caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: 2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; 3. the expression or display of glad feeling;
4.
a state of happiness
God must have felt that joy was an important part of our
lives. According to www.biblegateway.com the word joy is mentioned 242 times in the NIV translation. Some of my favorites: Psalm 47:1Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 51:12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant
me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 94:19When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy
to my soul.
Psalm 126:5Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
Proverbs 15:30A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good
news gives health to the bones.
John 15:11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete. Romans 12:12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful
in prayer. Romans 15:13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 3 John 1:4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
are walking in the truth.
I once heard Joyce Meyer say that when problems come if
the devil cannot upset us about it, then he has no power over us. His power is in causing us to be afraid and feel alone,
taking away all our strength. If we allow the Holy Spirit to surround us, then HIS joy becomes OUR strength. Satan
will no longer have us under his thumb.
Trials are going to come in our
lives. As long as sin is in the world, that is a fact that will not change. But it's how we react to the circumstances
around us that determine whether we're going to find joy...or wallow in misery. You can't do anything
about yesterday because it's already gone. There's no reason to worry about tomorrow, because it's not here
yet. We need to turn to Christ and trust that He will give us enough peace and joy...for TODAY.
|
|
2010.06.06
2010.01.10
2009.12.06
2009.11.29
2009.11.22
2009.11.15
2009.11.08
2009.11.01
2009.08.23
2009.08.09
2009.07.26
2009.07.19
2009.07.05
2009.06.21
2009.06.07
2009.05.31
2009.05.01
|
 
To remove your name from our mailing list, click here and type the word unsubscribe in the subject line.
|
|
To view the blog archives, click on a date between the columns.
Each date contains one week's postings. You can also click on the XML button to link to the RSS feed.
| The Carpenters |
|
|
| Life's greatest JOYS....and trials |
Family can be such a joy. But, family can also be the source of some of life's biggest frustrations!
Mine is no different. Life is sometimes such a challenge and at times, we all wonder if we will ever find real
joy again. When you are going through the trials of life, joy seems impossible. But, as the Psalmist David said,
"weeping lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning!" Sometimes we need to be reminded that the night
doesn't last forever.
We all have important values and ideas, things we care about and want to share. Sometimes we feel our ideas can even
change the world, or at least our small part of the world. Many times over the past few years, life has completely
upset my family's plans. Joy In Trials is a result of yet another change in plans.
I very much
like things in life to happen systematically and consistently. Apparently, God has other plans. Not that He doesn't
have a plan for my life, it just doesn't look like MY plan. My prayer is that you will return to this website
over and over as a reminder that you don't have to know what is going on or how you are going to deal with it. Jesus
Christ always provides the answers to life's questions...if you ask, believe and follow Him!
|
