The JOY of the LORD is your strength!

Happy New Year JOY and ALL year too!

Jennifer MorrowLeave a comment

Happy and JOYful NEW YEAR to all! JOY is the word!

The Lord can still bring His “GREAT JOY” to all us peoples beyond Christmas!

May the presence of The Lord that brings JOY be with us all the whole year through!

More LOVE, More JOY and MORE peace – the fruit of God’s Spirit – we can all experience and overflow with.

We first receive His amazing LOVE and forgiveness and this brings JOY!

We keep pursuing His presence and we are filled with His JOY overflowing!

His never ceasing LOVE and the JOY of His continual presence bring peace to our hearts and minds.

☀️This is THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE, let us choose to be JOYFUL and glad in it! 

☀️I am living out God’s WILL for my life by BEING JOYFUL in The LORD, PRAYING ABOUT EVERYTHING, and BEING THANKFUL IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.

☀️I am not dejected or sad, because the JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!

See Psalm 118:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Nehemiah 8:10*

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

JOY has been the word for “Joyful Jenny” the past year or so.  Actually, God began speaking to me specifically about always being joyful in 2008.  In 2019, I now can also agree with our Pastor at Church of the Highlands, Pastor Chris Hodges, who has declared this “a year of JOY” and, specifically, a year of “Joy no matter what!” It is wonderful to have The Lord confirm you are hearing from God’s Spirit by speaking the same thing or even the exact words you heard in prayer from others within the body of Christ, and especially other godly leaders.  When God speaks by His Spirit, we hear as one.

The past few years, God has led me on a consistent pursuit of studying His Word more than ever as it relates to joy and how to remain joyful in the Lord, even amidst the little foxes that spoil our joy, as well as the more serious attitudes we have to face and address in order to remain full of joy no matter what!  I call these joy killers.  I am continuing to study and write about “Joy no matter what!” based on the book of Philippians and the order of references to JOY in the Old Testament.  A real RESTORATION OF JOY I am personally experiencing along with others (in our group entitled “Joy No Matter What! – yes, amen), as we keep pursuing MORE time in the JOY GIVER’s presence.

Here are just a few of these “JOY GIVERS” AND “JOY KILLERS” to ponder based on the Philippians study:

Joy Giver: Humility

Joy Killer: Pride

Joy Giver: Forgiveness

Joy Killer: Unforgiveness, Offense

Joy Giver: Seeking God’s Purpose

Joy Killer: Soaking in Self Pity

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  Psalm 16:11

*Here is what we hold each other accountable within our group to SAY OUT LOUD everyday for this JOY full day that the Lord has made!

THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE AND I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

I AM FULL OF JOY, I PRAY ALL THE TIME AND I AM THANKFUL IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, BECAUSE THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR ME.

I AM NOT DEJECTED OR SAD, BECAUSE THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!

May you walk joyfully in His will on this joyful day The Lord has made, and may His joyful presence be your strength for today.  Whatever occurs, may His JOY be yours!

Love, “Joyful Jenny”

 

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Even though…yet I will…

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…are you living an “Even though…yet I will” life?

I’m guilty like every one else on social media of only or predominately posting the good, the happy, and the fun times. What would social media look like if we all posted all our heartbreaks, relationship struggles, disappointments, brokenness and tears, or uploaded video clips of our emotional meltdowns, family disagreements and arguments.  Oh, of course your family doesn’t have any of these. Yeah, right.

Sharing this post today just to say – please don’t think “Joyful Jenny” (as I keep referring to myself lately) encounters only the happy happy, joy joy scenarios and joyful situations all through her days.  Especially currently, there is something very painful and heartbreaking my family is walking through.  My laughing and smiling posts are not just me putting on a happy face either.  Even though all is not completely well, yet I still have the joy that God’s Spirit brings – even though, yet I still am experiencing God restoring the joy of my salvation. 

“Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me – now let me rejoice!”

 Psalm 51:8

The path along the deep and rugged valley roads of life we never planned to travel on come upon us like a sudden detour sign appearing out of nowhere.  Most of us, except the shallow, adversity free minority can relate. These life roadblocks or journey detours occur for various reasons – our own sin or the sins of others, our pride and rebellion, deception, addiction, our modern day idols (yes we have them), or just as a result of the fallen world we are living in.

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JOY LIKE A FOUNTAIN!

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Do you have joy like a fountain? Or has your well all dried up? Are you able to follow the Apostle Paul’s advice, “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, keep being joyful…” – my paraphrase of Philippians 3:1.
 
No one likes to take advice from someone who cannot relate to all you may have been through or are currently going through. However, Paul encountered much adversity and suffered many hardships all while serving the Lord, including the following and much more:  being imprisoned, 5 times whipped with 39 lashes, 3 times beaten with rods, robbed, mistreated and misunderstood by his own people and others, experiencing broken friendships, and often not having enough food to eat – AND ALL WHILE FAITHFULLY SERVING GOD!  STILL HIS MESSAGE WAS REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!
 
 
Do you have joy no matter what is happening to you and/or is going on around you?
 
 
This is one of the messages God has given me in the midst of life’s trials and messiness. Some people think joy is the absence of pain. It’s not. Often, those whose lives are filled with much sorrow and many challenges experience the most joy. In God’s presence is fullness of JOY! (Psalm 16:11)
Jesus told us the things He told us in His Word SO THAT our JOY WOULD OVERFLOW (John 15:11). Paul reminds us to “be joyful in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).  Many have forgotten that it is part of God’s will for us to be continually joyful (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
 
Okay, so I realize even sharing these verses doesn’t automatically make us oh so joyful.
Since I always get this right and do it so well, I’m always bright and cheery Joyful Jenny – haha! NOT! I’m just pressing into God’s grace more and more and desire to obey; and, over the last few years especially, God has been bringing a restoration of joy in my life personally. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and this is one of the reasons the enemy is after our joy.

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