John 15: 9-17
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
(NEHEMIAH 8:10B)
The greatest joy of the believer is to have found the way, the truth and the life. In this world's maze of false doctrines, to have discovered the skinny trail of truth that leads to life is phenomenal. And it's not just existence, but abundant life along the way.
The environment and the experiences prepared for the ones who love God are more wonderful than we can imagine. No blessing we may enjoy in this life can begin to compare with the amazing one that is ours for eternity in God's presence where there is fullness of joy. To be bursting with joy will not be more than our immortal bodies can handle. Even that is taken care of!
We know our unrelenting enemy will do all he can to get us off track, but the Lord Jesus encourages us to know and obey His commands, trust and remain in His love so that complete joy may be ours - joy on the inside to help us through difficulties now even as we anticipate joy for eternity. Remember throughout the coming year that the joy of the Lord is your strength.
INSIGHT
IT IS JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF GLORY,
OH, THE HALF HAS NEVER YET BEEN TOLD.
(BARNEY E. WARREN, 1900)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Genesis 31-32
Psalm 16
Matthew 24
John 15:9-17
New International Version (NIV)
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
THE POWER OF RITUAL
What is a ritual? We often think of a ritual as something we do robotically, but have you ever thought of communion as a ritual given to us by Christ?
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