Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: Philippians 2:10-18
Philippians 2:18 (NASB) "You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me."
Suppose for a moment that someone was given the responsibility of ollowing you around for a few days and noting how you felt and acted. Would they report that you are happy or sad? Joyful or despondent? Did you have a dark view on life? Or were you someone whose deeds, facial expressions, and thoughts revealed a heart filled with the joy of the Lord? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rank in this person's eyes?
Scripture clearly says that followers of Christ are to be joyful. Paul commanded the Philippian Christians, saying, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (4:4). Though Paul's teaching here is clear, you might argue the following: "You just don't know all the pressure on me, all the tasks I've got to do, all the expectations, and now I have to be joyful too. You are asking too much!" Perhaps it seems like a lot to be joyful, but what I am asking for isn't asking anything the Bible doesn't ask, nor am I calling for something the Lord's not going to help us experience.
Are you experiencing joy in your relationship with the Lord? If not, then perhaps you are looking in the wrong place. Simply put, true joy comes from God. We are to rejoice in the Lord. Deep gladness of heart is found in Jesus--the forgiveness and grace He offers us in our sin, the Holy Spirit He placed in us upon our accepting of His free gift of salvation, the gifts He has given us to serve Him, and the fellow believers who brighten our lives. All these things help us to experience the richness and fullness of His heavenly joy.
If your joy factor is sitting on 0 today, then take a few minutes now to rejoice in the Lord, praising Him for the many wonderful things He has done and will do.
Faith Lesson: The only joy that lasts comes from God Himself.
In Christ,
Darin Smith
READ: Philippians 2:10-18
Philippians 2:18 (NASB) "You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me."
Suppose for a moment that someone was given the responsibility of ollowing you around for a few days and noting how you felt and acted. Would they report that you are happy or sad? Joyful or despondent? Did you have a dark view on life? Or were you someone whose deeds, facial expressions, and thoughts revealed a heart filled with the joy of the Lord? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rank in this person's eyes?
Scripture clearly says that followers of Christ are to be joyful. Paul commanded the Philippian Christians, saying, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (4:4). Though Paul's teaching here is clear, you might argue the following: "You just don't know all the pressure on me, all the tasks I've got to do, all the expectations, and now I have to be joyful too. You are asking too much!" Perhaps it seems like a lot to be joyful, but what I am asking for isn't asking anything the Bible doesn't ask, nor am I calling for something the Lord's not going to help us experience.
Are you experiencing joy in your relationship with the Lord? If not, then perhaps you are looking in the wrong place. Simply put, true joy comes from God. We are to rejoice in the Lord. Deep gladness of heart is found in Jesus--the forgiveness and grace He offers us in our sin, the Holy Spirit He placed in us upon our accepting of His free gift of salvation, the gifts He has given us to serve Him, and the fellow believers who brighten our lives. All these things help us to experience the richness and fullness of His heavenly joy.
If your joy factor is sitting on 0 today, then take a few minutes now to rejoice in the Lord, praising Him for the many wonderful things He has done and will do.
Faith Lesson: The only joy that lasts comes from God Himself.
In Christ,
Darin Smith
