I can always tell in my own life when my joy is gone or diminishing that my relationship with God is weak. And when I say weak I don't mean He has anything to do with that but rather my heart is distant from Him. Have you ever seen a believer that is ALWAYS downcast and so Eeyore like. It is the saddest thing in the world because even on our worst day or toughest trial we still have hope!
Can life be hard? Yes. Do we lose loved ones? Yes. Do we experience great pain? Yes, no doubt but during that time God never leaves us and even if we don't see His hand we can trust that He is there. His word promises us that nothing can separate His great love for us, not one thing! And when the waters rise we cling to Jesus. We look up and know that the trial will pass, that the pain someday will be gone because Heaven is coming and in heaven there will be no more tears or suffering. We know that as children of God all the evil we have done has been wiped away and forgiven and so on judgment day we will be seen white as snow. Friends this is good news. This is the promise we have to cling to when life is a mess. Unending joy should fill our cups so much that it overflows onto others. That's how the world will see the difference in us. See bad things happen to everyone but the believers life should look different when trials and storms come, our lives should radiate the smell of the joy we have in Jesus.
It always makes me sad when I see someone fall away from God or lose their joy. It's a good sign that they are heading backwards instead of forward. Now don't get me wrong, I get grouchy and cranky, I snap at people and sometimes I cry. Well sometimes I cry a lot lol. However God always lifts me back up. When I am downcast the first thing I know I need to do is get on my hands and knees and when I don't feel like it a close sister comes alongside of me speaking truth in love to encourage me to get where I need to be. How can we fall away from this perfect love that is forever wooing us? Today my heart aches for my family who knows the truth yet chooses to walk in rebellion. They wallow in their own misery and keep rejecting God. This makes me sad. They are losing out on the blessing of joy that they can experience in their everyday life.
See that's it guys, life is good! I'll say it again, life is good!! God is good! If you are a believer you should be able to say this and mean it. If not that is a sign that something is wrong. Go to God He will fix it. Don't walk in depression or anxiety. Don't walk around in anger or un-forgivness. Have you seen God's beauty? Have you seen what He created around us? He is majestic and there is none like Him. None!!!
Too often each day the enemy comes to steal our joy and we just hand it over like It's ours to give away. God paid a high price so that we can walk in freedom so take the gift and give it away and not to satan, Give it to people who walk around depressed, angry and sad. Let the joy God has given you bless this dying world we live in.
I write this with a heart of righteous anger. It bothers me that some of my family knows the truth yet walks in darkness. It bothers me that far too many Christians have no joy and it bothers me that people I love are straying from Jesus. Here is the thing friends, today is one day closer to Jesus coming and one day closer to us standing face to face with God. Hit your knees and accept God's love then fall radically in love with Him because He is radically in love with you!
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