Day 2 - 40 Days of JOY
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of JOY
Day 2 | ALWAYS BE JOYFUL?
40 Days of JOY
Day 2 | ALWAYS BE JOYFUL?
ALWAYS BE JOYFUL?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
Being joy-filled does NOT mean your life is perfect. It does NOT mean that your life is “great.” It DOES mean that you are trusting God and believe HE is in control and has some good plans for your life regardless of what is happening right NOW.
One author said: “Joy is an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God.” It is a way of trusting GOD to be the GOD Who causes “all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Just as a golfer learns to control his thinking and swing and be consistent, we who are attempting to follow Jesus and get our thinking on to the “joy-filled” track need mental discipline. You see, with weak mental muscles, JOY becomes intermittent and random. It may seem daunting, but the payoff for such discipline is terrific!
Take the above verse. It says, “ALWAYS be joyful.” So HOW do you do that?
First, – you PRAY and ask for God’s help.
1 John 5:14-15 we read: “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”
Since being JOYFUL is something God wants for His Children, you can ask Him to help you.
Then – you DO what God’s Word says. You might re-read yesterday’s verse – Philippians 4:8. It is THE KEY to much JOY.
Prayer: LORD, help me to become better at asking You for things that are YOUR will for me. Then, please help me to work with You to implement them in my life. For YOUR glory and my benefit. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
Being joy-filled does NOT mean your life is perfect. It does NOT mean that your life is “great.” It DOES mean that you are trusting God and believe HE is in control and has some good plans for your life regardless of what is happening right NOW.
One author said: “Joy is an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God.” It is a way of trusting GOD to be the GOD Who causes “all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Just as a golfer learns to control his thinking and swing and be consistent, we who are attempting to follow Jesus and get our thinking on to the “joy-filled” track need mental discipline. You see, with weak mental muscles, JOY becomes intermittent and random. It may seem daunting, but the payoff for such discipline is terrific!
Take the above verse. It says, “ALWAYS be joyful.” So HOW do you do that?
First, – you PRAY and ask for God’s help.
1 John 5:14-15 we read: “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”
Since being JOYFUL is something God wants for His Children, you can ask Him to help you.
Then – you DO what God’s Word says. You might re-read yesterday’s verse – Philippians 4:8. It is THE KEY to much JOY.
Prayer: LORD, help me to become better at asking You for things that are YOUR will for me. Then, please help me to work with You to implement them in my life. For YOUR glory and my benefit. Amen.