Everlasting Joy

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 51:11

More Than Cake And Punch

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

 

Good Medicine

A joyful heart is good medicine….

Proverbs 17:22

 

God Is With You

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

 

The Joy Of Nature

For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

 

Do Some Shouting

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 32:11

 

Be Fruity

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

 

Forgive, Forgive, Forgive

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

Matthew 18:21-22

 

Do The Right Thing

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:17

It is never the wrong time to do the right thing.

Pray and take action.

 

Be Brave, God Is With You

…the Lord spoke to Joshua…

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Look Smart

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Proverbs 17:28

 

The Greatest

But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

Matthew 23:11

 

Owe Nothing

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

I had a friend who whenever anyone did anything to help him out would say, “I owe you one.”

This was so wrong! This man would do anything he could to help anyone who asked him. He would drive twenty miles out of his way to take someone home. He would buy lunch for the guy who was short on cash. He would come over in the middle of the night to fix a neighbor’s furnace.

He was kind and generous. Yet, he was humbled by actions of kindness shown to him.

This is what we owe each other as the Apostle Paul said, “To love one another.”

 

Never Put On Hold

They cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distress.

Psalm 107:13

 

Run To God, He Is Waiting For You

Seek the Lord while He may be found;

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

And let him return to the Lord,

And He will have compassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:6-7

 

One Faith

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

 

Always Something For You To Do

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Been There

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16

 

Forgiveness

“Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are as scarlet,

They will be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They will be like wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

 

Look To God

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Psalm 118:8

The latest innovation in traffic control here in Ohio is the roundabout or traffic circle. Until a few years ago, these were unknown in Ohio; then the Highway Department started building them and roundabouts became the darling of road construction.

Roundabouts are easy to navigate, but many drivers are confused by them. They do not understand that all traffic flows to the right and that they must turn right to get onto the circle and turn right to get off the circle. All the signs point to the right, but drivers still go the wrong way.

Sometimes that’s what happens to us when we find ourselves in a new situation. All the signs point us in the right direction, but we can’t decide what to do because we are over advised by friends and foes. That’s when it is a good time to take a break and pray for guidance.

When we look to God, He will point us in the right direction.

 

The Easy Way Or The Hard Way

Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way,

And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

Job 17:9

 

Throwing Rocks

“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Luke 6:41

My Father-in-law, the late Reverend Everett Mill, Jr., told a story about some children who were caught throwing rocks and breaking basement windows at a church he attended. At a church board meeting he expressed his anger that parents did not teach their children to respect the church and demanded that the children’s parents pay for the damage.

The board members agreed and informed Everett that his son liked to throw rocks.

It is easy for us to judge and condemn others for shortcomings. What is not so easy is to recognize that we are not perfect either, and that perhaps we need to clean up some things in our lives.

 

Balancing Act

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

The Forgiveness Business

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

For the law of Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2

Man is in condemnation business. God is in the forgiveness business.

 

You Are A Temple

Do you not know you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

God lives in us and we are filled with His Spirit. We should not be surprised when this spills out on those around us. We are to take the Gospel to the world, and God has equipped us well for this task.

Enjoy the journey.

 

Comfort Others

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

The Blessings Go On And On

For in this case the saying is true, “One sows and another reaps.”

John 4:37

We do not to go about the work of God to become wealthy. We do the work of God because we want people to know Jesus and to have a better life. This involves both preaching the Gospel and meeting the physical needs of people.

Several years ago, our neighbor’s daughter was struggling to take care of her children. I gave my neighbor a bag of clothes my daughter had outgrown for her granddaughter, Heaven, who was starting kindergarten.

A few days later my neighbor told me that Heaven was overwhelmed by the gift of those clothes. She said Heaven told everyone “Sara is my best friend.” Heaven never met my daughter but she understood that someone cared for her.

Many of the clothes in that bag were hand me downs my daughter received from a friend. My daughter was blessed by those clothes and then Heaven was blessed by those clothes.

We sow and another reaps, then another sows and another reaps, and the blessings go on and on

 

Build Up

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Romans 15:1-2

 

Even Before We Ask

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24

 

In Every Thing, Be OK

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13