Power of Joy

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

...neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10b

Too many of us are walking around with "dry bones". We have no joy. We are full of sorrows. We are weak in our hearts. And our spirits are broken down.

Yet the word of God tells us that it in joy that we become strong in our spirits. So, how do we get joy?

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you,

that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

John 15:9-11

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1 John 1:3, 4

When you abide in the love of God by keeping His commands, His joy stays with you. Meditating on the promises of God can only bring more joy! Seeing all that God has for you, knowing how much He loves and cares about you, will only increase the amount of joy in your life.

Joy also shows up when you fellowship with other saints who are also strong in the Lord. Hearing their testimonies of the goodness of the Lord, learning from their walk with the Father, and having them pray for and encourage you will keep your joy levels on FULL!

So, today, determine to strengthen yourself in the joy of the Lord. Let the joy of the Lord minister health and well-being to your spirit and mind. You don't have to be weary, run down or sorrowful, in any situation, your joy can be FULL!

Need Some Help?

Ever struggled trying to open a jar? As hard as you can, you try to twist off the cap, but to no avail. So you ask someone else for help. They take hold of the jar, twist of the cap, and hand it back to you in no time.

Or have you ever been looking for something and couldn't find it? You look everywhere you can think of making more of a mess then there was before searching for your lost item. Finally, when you're at your wits' end, you ask for help. That person comes in, and in a few moments locates your lost item that was sitting right in plain sight.

So often we go through life like this. We try in our own strength to "open" things that seem sealed off to us. We search high and low for what we know belongs to us but can't find it anywhere. Yet we have Someone we can ask for help. We have Someone with the strength to open those closed places. We have Someone who knows exactly where our lost treasure is.

Yet, are we asking for His help? Are you asking the Lord to assist you in your efforts to succeed? Or, are you so busy trying to do things in your own strength?

Don't waste any more time or energy trying to do something on your own. Don't strain yourself or wear yourself out trying to make things happen. You serve a God who has the ability, knowledge, and authority to fulfill your needs.

Just save yourself the trouble, and ask the Lord for help.

Verse of the Day: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Hard Times

Life does not always make sense. Life is definitely not always fair.

I find myself in a period right now where there seems to be more going wrong than right. I have more questions than answers. And, I'm just trying to stand in faith and not question my way into doubt and unbelief.

The Lord has told us that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. Since He's the One keeping this world spinning, I have to trust that what He allows is what's best for all of us in the end. Even when it doesn't make sense... Even when I still have questions...

Right now you may be in a situation where you don't understand what's going on. You may feel that life is dealing you a really rotten hand. You may think that you can't possibly take any more, but the hits keep coming.

So, today, I wanted to remind all of us of the kind of God that we serve.

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:

his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

Psalm 91:3-10

This passage was written either by David or Moses. Both men faced hard times. One led people from the hands of slave owners into the wilderness. The other was given a promise of greatness but then was forced into a life on the run, a life where he was being hunted like an animal. No matter which one wrote these words, the meaning still rings true: our God will take care of us.

In the long run, we will look back and see the sovereign hand of God orchestrating our lives to the fruition of His great purpose for us. Yes, right now we may be hurting, confused, or concerned. But we have no reason to fear. We have no reason to lose our hope. God is working all things together for our good.

Let's not forget that God still has the last say, and He has our ultimate good in mind.

Thanksgiving Friday!

This week I'm praising God that I'm through with my class! I don't know why I decided I'd be fine taking a class while working and coaching this semester, but I'm happy I'm through. And I got a good grade. I'm thankful that I only have three more to go, and I'll have that graduate degree. Praise God!

I'm also thankful for a successful basketball season. Our boys pulled off a remarkable season, and I am on my way downstate with my cheerleaders to cheer them on. Hopefully they will do well this year. Either way, I get a nice little weekend get away! Praise God!

Today, I'm also thankful for help. We were short-staffed in our office this week, and we realized how much we really appreciate our co-worker. Her absence was truly felt. She does so much for our little group. - Hmmm. Thought for the day: Would your absence be felt if you were missing from your group? Are you being a great help to those around you? If you are, you are a real blessing to your team! - Thank you, Lord, for help!

I'm also thankful for the warming temps that are melting our snow. It was good while it was here, but it's time for the snow to go.

What are you thankful for this week? Make sure you send up some praises!

Verse of the Day: I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Wednesday's Word: Meditating on the Word

Only be thou strong and very courageous,

that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,

which Moses my servant commanded thee:

turn not from it to the right hand or to the left,

that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;

but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,

 that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:

 for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee?

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:

for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:7-9



It's easy to sin. Lies roll off the tongue.. greed and envy are never hard to embrace... anger and hatred seem like second nature...

Following after God takes strength and courage. Ignoring our fleshly desires takes discipline and strong will (in addition to the power of the Holy Spirit). When following the Lord, we have to take cares to not turn "to the right hand or to the left". That means we can't take shortcuts. There is no "just this one time" or "little white lies" or "God knows my heart" with the Lord. Only when we follow His will to the letter will we live a prosperous life.

To get results we have to meditate on His words. That means we have to read, study, research, memorize, think about, and talk about the Word of God. We have to know His Word inside and out to insure that we are living in a way that pleases Him.

There's a whole 'nother nugget in there about being strong and courageous in there, but I'll touch on that tomorrow. Today, however, spend some time to meditate on the Word of God.

The Wind of the Spirit

I love feeling a warm breeze on my face. The wind buffeting me and whistling through my ears is pleasant for me. I especially love the wind blowing when the seasons are in transition. The air is full of the scents of the coming changes. The wind fascinates me because you can't see it. You can see what it carries, you can see it's effects, but you can't literally see the wind.

When the Holy Spirit first appeared on earth after Jesus' resurrection, He filled the air with the sound of a mighty, rushing wind. (Acts 2:2) The Lord was signalling the changes that were afoot. He was sending His people a Comforter and Guide. After the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they went out and turned the world upside down!

The Holy Spirit serves in opening men up to the truth of Jesus Christ. He helps to lead believers in the right direction. He gives them gifts to live lives that honor the distinction of being the children of God.

In the same way you can't see the wind, you can't see the Holy Spirit. However, you can see the effects of the Holy Spirit. You can hear His voice, you can follow His directions, you can find comfort in His presence.

Have you received the Holy Spirit? Has He filled your being with His presence? God sent the Holy Spirit to help you in your Christian walk after Jesus finished His work. Are you enjoying the benefits of this gift?

You can find direction, comfort, and much more with the help of the Holy Spirit. Today, allow Him to fulfill His purpose in your life. Listen for His voice, follow His directions, turn to Him for comfort, utilize His gifts... You may not be able to see Him, but His work produces miracles!

Verse of the Day: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:2-4

Thanksgiving Friday!

Another week, more blessings, more reasons to give God praise!

This week I'm thankful for new opportunities. I'm blessed to be partnering with the EmpowerMoments blog, and my first blog post went up on this past Wednesday. If you haven't read "Achieving Greatness" take a moment and go get inspired! Thanks, Lord, for opening up new doors!

I'm also thankful for God's peace. There has been a lot of chaos going on around me this week, but I'm praising God that there was no chaos within me! The Holy Spirit has kept me calm through many things this week, and I am grateful for the Lord's keeping power.

What are you thankful for this week? How has God blessed you? Make sure you give Him praise!

Verse of the Day: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3