Good day to you my dear Friends,
It is a joy in my heart to write to you. I hope and pray to encourage you and strengthen you in Christ. It is one of my greatest joys to serve God at FGGAM. I have known Dewey for some time now; and God has used him to pull me out of my comfort zone to write for God; and even to be a voice for God. Writing has been a large part of my studies, growth & confidence in Christ! So, I say thank you for allowing me to join you today; and I pray this is a blessing to your beautifully designed today.
Friends we go through things, but there is strength in knowing “This too shall pass!” And, one of the hardest prayers, I have ever prayed, is “Father, give me strength to accept your will.” I was able to pray that prayer, because I trust in God’s will & I know that plans God has for us on this earth are purposed for eternally good; and so, there is also joy on earth as it is in Heaven. Like seasons, we must go through some things to have joy. Ponder that through your day …
Like seasons, we must go through some things to have joy.
Personally, I can have as much frustration as I choose to take on throughout my days, but I am learning that it is invaluable to take time to appreciate God’s perfect timing. Just like, just now, to drop my agenda of posting this to answer a call from my son, “Mom, do you have shoes on? Go outside. It doesn’t matter which door.” I asked, do I need to take my camera?” He said, “No, just come outside.” It was warm! And, like a Spring Day in January, it has also rained! What a blessing! The wind must have been blowing too, because the porch was puddled with Rain Drops! Wow! This describes the breath that God loves us to take time to breathe!
This describes the breath that God loves us to take time to breathe!
Today’s focus is on Finding JOY in all situations!
Did you know that God wants you to be happy all the time? Sure, that sounds good doesn’t it, but is this possible? God knows the pain you have. But friends, don’t let your pain be bigger than your praise. And, don’t let your hurt hurt you. Just this morning, as I awoke, I hear the Spirit of Truth say, write to say God wants you to be happy all the time. I respond, by getting up and heading this way.
It didn’t take long for frustration -of all days to be coming AT me! And, This is the day that the Lord just spoke to me to write that “God wants us to be happy all the time”… I realized as I began to face a few tests this morning that frustration will come at us to steal our happy heart! This is the only evidence I needed to press on and do as the Lord directed me. Only God knows your heart; and I believe God has positioned this here for you today at just the right time! And, there goes that Train Whistle! I hear it all the time anymore -at just these moments; God is reassuring me of His love for me; and for you.
Oh Wow! God is so good to teach like this! What are we doing / or not doing that we are missing the complete joy in the Lord all the time?
What are we doing / or not doing that we are missing the complete joy in the Lord all the time?
Friends, you can talk to God about it, but as for me, I see that sometimes, I get off on my own agenda -and miss God’s will! It is a small error to cross the line of free will and God’s will that the two wills can mall-align.
For instance, I had just heard the voice of the Lord direct my path with a starting place. Write that “God wants you to be happy all the time.” And, my agenda began to creep in! I wanted coffee, but I needed to get the computer started. Then, I remembered the battery was low, so now it needed plugged in. I dropped the mouse, and struggled reaching the plug behind my chair. Frustration was coming at me at almost full force; and I had not even had my first cup of coffee this morning.
Friends, to become aware of God alive on the inside of us, through Christ, in these situations, is exactly where we find our happy heart! A happy heart is happy with God, which is to experience the presence of God … God’s emotion is Joy! To remember, that if God asks us to do anything, that He will be for us; with us; and remains in us through the Spirit of Truth guiding us as we go through our day! But that doesn’t mean there won’t be opposition coming at us to stop us; or steal our happy heart. Yet, our job is to pause when we begin fighting God, by / or with our own agenda more in mind; than remembering God’s time frame & that God is our Source of all things.
Do you trust God?
Jesus is the Way, the Truth & the Life.
The Spirit of Truth also said to me this morning before all this happened, to write and ask, “What are you doing / or not doing, to get in the way of your happy heart?” The words come to me “Float like a Butterfly & Fly like a Bee.” LOL; Now, I am not a boxer like Muhammad Ali, and by the Spirit of God, I changed the word ‘sting’ to “fly like a bee,” but life can be like this quote, “Fly like an Eagle,” if we train our mind to honoring things of God. We have a free will that works well in harmony with God’s will.
if we train our mind to honoring things of God.
The Lord teaches us that we need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us; or our human mind, will & emotions will. Who knows best -us; or God? I trust God knows the beginning and the end; and God has loved us since even before He formed us in our mother’s womb. With God, sure there might be tests to pass to grow in Christ, but the fight is against the temptations of the desires of our own will & mind, emotions, schedules, agendas, and perhaps even a hard heart that doesn’t want to rest in the presence of God to walk / Float in Grace into God’s agenda, and enjoy victory in Christ like the Flight of an Eagle / more powerful than a bee!
Wow, put like that, it sounds like just a lack of knowledge about .. of how much God has in store for us…
Yes, there is a battle to keep joy, but that battle is won by changing our mind.
A heart that honors God in all that we do is a happy heart. If our heart is not happy, then why? ____. God is with us in Christ; but the question really is: where has our heart and agenda gone astray? Pause, rest, be still & perhaps even go back to that place where your agenda took you away from God’s plan for you. Take some moments with God; He is there with you; take time to notice & know, to rest in the Joy of the Lord and honor God by just talking with Him. God cares for you! Listen; and be still, and God will direct your path. Most likely, God will say, let go of your agenda and follow His! Yet, consider this? The thing we often do is try to negotiate God’s will … But what would happen if we simply loved to honor God and trusted God by coming into agreement with God’s will by our faith?
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” “Hallowed be thy Name!” And, as a citizen of Heaven, we should notice if joy is present; or missing in, or from our life.
Please don’t think I am undermining the pain of your situation. The truth is, God is for you. God won’t leave you; or forsake you; and God has a plan for you …if you are going through something difficult; God will comfort you. Joy can even be found through the darkest sorrows that draw us nearer to God to come into the presence of where sorrows are lifted into the hands of eternal joy.
Or if you are going through a time of rest. Friends, there is more coming than this life, but this life is to be enjoyed with God too -Yes, trust with hope and faith with Joy, even though the difficult times. God is with us. The Joy (HOPE) of the Lord is your strength; and the world won’t / can’t understand, but you can be happy! This is a mindset on God’s love for you that can / will elevate your heart in Jesus to overflow in joy to serve!
Do you believe? Do you doubt? Which % do you believe or doubt? 100%? 50%? 10% or 75%? Come to believe the Spirit of Truth! What is God saying to you about Joy?
How do you know this is true?
Take a moment to ponder this in your heart.
James 1:2-8 English Standard Version is the Written Word of Truth:
Testing of Your Faith
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
training to change my mind to come into agreement with God
Over the years, I have been corrected by the Holy Spirit in wanting to do as I please. I know that feeling of being tossed -missing joy; but consistently, I have been learning / training to change my mind to come into agreement with God; and God is always faithful to His Word! What I have discovered in my own life, is that I have tried at times to be stubborn; and do life by my stubborn way, but when I see the Word of the Lord, because I believe, I make an adjustment to my way of thinking; and God unfolds the rest! Friend, if you are in this futile fighting place of hurt or pride, take a fresh breath of life with peace and joy! Why does the world fight the gifts God gives? Breathe in the Presence of God and begin to really feel alive!
Friend, if you are in this futile fighting place of hurt or pride, take a fresh breath of life with peace and joy!
HOW? Thank you, Jesus for this gift. Jesus is our connection to the LIFE & ABILITY with God! Seek 1st the Kingdom of God … And, we who believe can experience the Joy of the Lord!
…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, …
Hebrews 12:1-3King James Version (KJV)
12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
see beyond the blind spot
The Lord also gave me this picture to paint for you today. Imagine driving a car with a limited view! No side mirrors to see beyond the blind spot. No rear mirror to be aware of what is coming up. Imagine driving a car with only a flashlight view in front of your; unaware of anything going on around you or beside you.
Now imagine God with you! Now realize God is for you! Now praise God for Jesus who welcomes your gift of the Holy Spirit of God in all truth who will dwell in you to guide you into all truth, Wisdom and methods to get through your day; and help you to do well in your mind, body, spirit and soul all in harmony with God; and even your emotions in balance to be happy all day long!
What a thrill to be in control of an uncontrolled situation!
Lastly, the Lord revealed to me to say, to respond to those who may think that life serving God may be boring? Or, tenderly I say, you may feel that joy is impossible though the raw pain you feel … please let the Holy Spirit minister to your hurting heart, because God longs for you to be happy & to know that God has loved people for a long time.
to feel life here and now …
I pray that I will paint a picture of riding a 4-Wheeler with God! I love to feel the roar of that power and slide the back wheels around! What a thrill to be in control of an uncontrolled situation! This is to feel life to me; to spiritually live for, live with, and live my life unconditionally abiding in something greater than me; or my mere human ability. His Name is Jesus; and this is to live trusting in eternal life with God on earth, as it is in Heaven. There is more to come. Like a family reunion, if you have lost a loved on, know they are waiting on you to reunite. But here and now, know that you have purpose on this earth…walk in the Joy of the Lord knowing God cares for you.
You have the ability to make God smile; or make God’s heart hurt. There is a life to experience in this world and that is a happy heart full of life!
This is joy! Living life with God. Abiding in His love … because you know and believe in the love God has for you … and also the love God has for the world that they too may believe.
So, what happens when life happens to you?
So, what happens when life happens to you? Perhaps, like Saul you are in a situation like Paul that you are learning what he meant when he wrote to count it all joy (James 1:2-4)? Friends, God’s love is powerful! God’s love is bigger than the box we see on our plate in this dish of life on earth! Count life all joy that Jesus has died for us; has already risen for us; speaks for us and to us, abides in us through the Holy Spirit; and waits for us to eternal victory; after the prize of Joy is won here on this earth; that none shall perish; as it is God’s will.
2 Peter 3:9King James Version (KJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Earth is a training ground -with opportunities to enjoy the presence of God; and with a job to do … assigned to us by God to believe and follow Christ serving for the cause of good! Are you serving the Lord Jesus with joy full in your heart? In the hospital, remember God wants to be with you in power and in joy; and many times, you are sent there for someone else. … Keep joy so that you can speak of the love of God. If you feel downcast or burdened; go to God in Thanksgiving and Prayer and Praise God for the good that you know -even if only by faith that you know what you can’t see!
even in the sorrow, God can be found.
Good things are set right before us to choose, but many people give up on God too soon …before the Joy comes after the sorrow. Yes, there is sorrow in this world, but even in the sorrow, God can be found. This is a great joy for us to know Jesus!
There is joy in the Lord when we remember that God so loves us more … than we can comprehend!
God loves us more than plugging a computer in … so don’t that frustration interfere with your relationship with God!
The next time frustration comes at you, remember God in you; and enjoy being loved by God!
enjoy being loved by God!
Like a bird flies by, do you take time to see it; or even notice it? Sometimes, the bird is still, but it is there; and it takes a quiet moment to appreciate the calm that only Peace (JESUS) can bring, even before you see “the bird in the tree.” Then, if you are still, God will send a bird by your way to give you one more opportunity to Praise and honor God with your heart that is filled with Joy, the strength of being in God’s will.
Holy Spirit you are welcome here.
If you need prayer, please write to us or contact someone who loves the Lord to listen to you; and pray with you, and to love you in Christ, because God wants you to be happy all the time; and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all Truth.
Perhaps, as I hear the Lord whisper …RElease your pain to jesus
Joy redefines Happy; a happy heart trusts the Truth is true. Jesus is the Truth; and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth who guides us well advised into the Joy of the Lord to be happy in our heart trusting on Jesus. Perhaps, as I hear the Lord whisper, quit pulling and tugging so hard, you have wrestled with pain for so long. Release your pain to Jesus and trust God, where the Joy remains as your direction to get to where your heart longs to be …
John 16:13 King James Version
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Romans 10:9-10 King James Version
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
I hope this is a blessing to you!
Love and prayers in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Write for your gift today:
The Train Whistle, Sounding the call of God’s Love
C/O Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 441, Efland, NC 27243
