This week we will be covering chapter 1- Joyless living
Oh when I looked at this chapter I was sad, Joyless living who wants that, everyone probably wants to live a joyful life, I mean I would think so anyway.
I loved the analogy the author uses Christmas morning brings lots of Joy to children with all their new toys but it doesnt take long for the newness to wear off and they begin saying they are bored lthough they are surrounded with well more than enough fun new toys to keep them occupied for weeks and months they get very bored very quickly.
In life we are much like those small children crying because they dont have any new toys and now we have grown bored with what we have. Our lives are blessed and if we take a minute(more than just on Thanksgiving) to be remember what we have to be thankful for, small or large things we have so much to be thankful for and when we take time to remember what we have to be thankful for it is pretty hard to be anything but joyful.
Read Proverbs 23:29 with me
Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?- Proverbs 23:29
Inside the devotional book there is a place for you to write out the following
Who hath________________?
Who hath________________?
Who hath_________________?
Who hath_________________?
Who hath__________________?
Who hath__________________?
now lets look at Isaiah 24:11
There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
What happened to the joy in this verse?
in Isaiah 24:8 what shows that the joy is gone?
The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
when songs ceased, the streets were quiet, the sounds of music was gone they hung their harps up to play them no more.
read the following verses
- Psalm 51:8
- Proverbs 14:10
- Psalm 16:11
- Psalm 25:4
- Psalm 114:18
- Psalm 30:5
Ponder on these verses and really focus on where the joy is, where did the joy go if it isnt there and where does the joy come from.(if you have the book these verses have spaces to document your findings)
Joy cometh in the morning– Praise the Lord if that doesnt give you immediate Joy I dont know what will, I mean we have everything we need to live a joyful life if we can just realize it.
Look at the following verses and ponder over these and you can see how you can rediscover our joy just by looking at things differently
- Numbers 22:31
- Psalm 146:8
- Acts 26:18
- Psalm 119:18
- Luke 24:31
Are the days long, is joy hard to find, pray over the verses and devotion we all went through together that the Lord will help you to see clearly the joy that is always present in Christian life.
Takeaways for me: Joy is always there, The Lord provides my every need and it is me that is the problem not acknowledging it. The Lord will help me to see his blessings clearly all I have to do is ask. By looking at things differently I can rediscover joy in even the smallest and hardest to see situations. As hard as the night is always remember joy cometh in the morning!!!