The JOY of the LORD

 

Hosea 6:6

King James Version

6 For I desired mercy, 

and not sacrifice; 

and the knowledge of God 

more than burnt offerings.

Does anyone care to know, what pleases God?

I thought about that this morning.

I had been deep in my grief for 52 days now, after my baby sis passed away.

Searching Scripture for comfort, I came upon this verse, with the curious, catchy phrase a few days ago:

Nehemiah 8:10

King James Version

10 Then he said unto them, 

Go your way, 

eat the fat, 

and drink the sweet, 

and send portions unto them 

for whom nothing is prepared: 

for this day is holy unto our Lord: 

neither be ye sorry; 

for the joy of the Lord 

is your strength.

And I thought to myself, what was the "joy of the Lord"?

For if I found it, then I'd be able to derive strength from it.

It will surely help, as I mourn.

Looking deeper into it, I found these articles Spirit and I have written the past years, which answered my own question:

What GOD Looks For

Something God Likes

Why Did God Create Man?

What Does Jesus Want Us to Do?

How Does JESUS Wish to be LOVED?

What does the LORD require of us?

HOW to KNOW the WILL of GOD

JESUS as the FOUNDATION of Our Life, Home, and Work

The BORN AGAIN heart

WALKING in the SPIRIT

The ONE, TRUE GOD

REPENTANCE

In contrast, it's also good to know what displeases God, so we may know where we need to be corrected by SPIRIT, and be perfect in the eyes of GOD.

What are ABOMINATIONS to GOD?

Things To Get Rid of In Your House Right Now

AWARENESS of sin

When you think of GOD, you think less of self.

And that's where healing will begin.

I thank JESUS, and the HOLY SPIRIT, for this wonderful gift.

God Knows the Secrets of Your Heart

12 Then said he unto me, 

Fear not, Daniel: 

for from the first day 

that thou didst set thine heart to understand, 

and to chasten thyself before thy God, 

thy words were heard, 

and I am come for thy words.

Daniel 10:12 

King James Version

How interesting that I found this verse today, from a Chuck Missler video I started listening to.

"...for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard,"

That was exactly what I had been doing for a long time -- I've set my heart to know EVERYTHING about God, and in the process, I got to know Jesus more, and I am being instructed by the Holy Spirit each day, or after each prayer.

I am living testimony that God hears our prayers.

Through faith, patience, and perseverance -- and always paying attention, and listening to the "voice" of God -- we are finally heard, and answered.

Some days, the answers are instant.

Other days, even before I've finished a prayer, the answer's already there.

Oftentimes, the answers come in a dream, and I'm supposed to piece it all together.

It didn't all come together until God made me born again last year.

Only then did I began to understand the Triune God:

God, the FATHER,
God, the SON, and 
God, the HOLY SPIRIT.

In the asking, was the giving.

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; 

seek, and ye shall find; 

knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; 

and he that seeketh findeth; 

and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)

God knew my heart, all the contents, the quality, or the lack of it.

But He saw the real desire to know Him, and I'm grateful Jesus -- through the Holy Spirit -- finally made things clear for me.

Now, I'm able to understand the Bible, letting it speak to me each time.

I honestly believe all you have to do to reach God, is to pray to Him however you know how.

Become childlike, and trusting in God.

Make time to listen.

God likes that very much!

Updated 21 January 2022

In God's World, Nothing is Ever Wasted

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, 

he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; 

behold, 

all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

King James Version

That sturdy tree, with its strong bark, is like God.

That tiny leaf, amidst the pine needles, is like who we are -- shy, cautious, unsure, tentative, child-like, maybe even wounded.

God is protective of His creation, for He loves us all, enough to send His Son to teach us, to save us, and to give us everlasting life.

Whoever we had been in the past, doesn't really matter much.

What matters most is who we are now, how we have become, especially if we chose to follow Christ.

We are all imperfect beings, subject to sin and error, but what really matters most is if we choose to repent, and become new in the LORD.

43 To him give all the prophets witness, 

that through his name whosoever believeth in him 

shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 10:43 (KJV)

Nearly 10 months ago, I chose to start a new blog, "Prophecy Lessons", as I was teaching myself many things from Scripture.

Night and day, I was being taught by the Holy Spirit, many things about Jesus, for I was intent on knowing all about Him.

Because I moved on, I left this blog you're reading now, thinking it was completely finished, and to be set aside forever, even as it had been the basis and foundation for my personal growth. 

In an email I wrote to a friend today, I wrote, "In God's world, nothing is ever wasted".

And, of course, that very statement -- as many statements that come from my renewed heart -- created a new article, this one you're reading now.

Whoever you were in the past, with all your successes, or failures, those don't really define you.

What defines us all, is if we have given our hearts to the LORD.

Only the Lord would know what to do with what we have in our hearts.

Nothing is ever wasted.

All we have experienced in life, if we allow it to, can build character, not bitterness.

All our pain, our fears, our experiences, lessons learned, the humbling of our hearts -- they all serve God's purpose.

And if we offer our service to Him, as I have, we are used wonderfully, making our hearts sing with joy and excitement, at what the Lord may have us do, in His behalf.

As it was, and has forever been, it was my writing.

Now, I write about the Lord.

Now, I test everything I think, say, and do, with what Jesus said in Scripture.

All we have been, is mere grist for the mill, a necessary sifting of what is important, and what must be set aside.

Obviously, that which is important, must only serve the Lord.

That which must be set aside, is of the world.

And I am doing both, because I chose to follow Jesus, and Jesus alone.

In my desire to know God, I must read the WORD, and follow the WAY, which is both Jesus.

We all have gone through much in life, but like that beautiful image above, you can see a tiny, green leaf, peeking from the hardy, protective tree, which is God.

Such is the way to walk in Christ.

Life may not have been pretty for us, and we may all still be having a difficult time right now, but in God's world, nothing is ever wasted.

God uses what we have in our hearts, who we are, how we have become, and what we wish to accomplish, for His purpose.

The days become more beautiful, when your heart is totally offered to the Lord.

But, as always, you have to experience it for yourself, to know what I speak of.

By the GRACE of God, you will choose to only serve the Lord, and pray He shows you how to follow Him.

In that prayer, watch how God will work in your life!

Thus, this blog must be revived, for it had been my foundation, and invitation, for Christ to come into my life.

Thank you for reading this post!

May you be safe where you are and may you have the peace and happiness that only God can give!

As a welcome gift, enjoy this lovely, soothing music, if you wish!

(All verses from biblegateway.com)

(Image source: Joseph)

21 January 2022

Contentment is a Beautiful Thing

When I think of peace, I think of the ocean.

Of quietude and nothingness.

Of not having to be anything or something, but just to be.

To relax and rest your mind.

To have your moment's peace and serenity.

Even as contentment can be anywhere you are, with who you are.

Of not having to compete in any way whatsoever.

Of patiently waiting in line as others do for you know you will have your turn, too.

Of knowing you have done your best and sometimes you just need to let things evolve on their own.

You become content when you have no competitive bone in your body.

It's also when you appreciate everything around you.

Especially when you know God has always been good to you, and that if there was unkindness among humans, it's always because we forget to be kind, sweet, and loving.

Many things we can be content about:

1. That we each were born into a family.
2. That we are able to wake up each day.
3. That we have food on the table.
4. That we have a place to sleep.
5. That we have clothes and shoes to wear.
6. That we have work, no matter how humble it may be.
7. That we are loved by God.
8. That God doesn't judge us.
9. That we have each other, no matter how few friends we have.
10. That we each have great potential.
11. That's there's nothing to prove to anyone.
12. That we are complete as we are.

Of course, that's but a few of the many blessings we have each day and each lifetime.

The days you feel unhappy, restless, or discontented, stop a moment and rest.

You need to care for yourself at that moment.

Perhaps, you're not feeling loved or appreciated.

Be kind to self always.

Don't let others pressure you into being who you are not.

God knew what He was doing when He created you.

You were created in the image and likeness of God.

That's a good ground for serenity. 

Aspire never to compete.

It's much more fun to work harmoniously alongside others.

If you can't, then work well with yourself.

Some are cut out that way. 

Discontent comes from comparing yourself with others.

I've already known a long time ago that there will always be better-looking, luckier, and more intelligent people than me.

I've come to terms with all that.

When you accept, you begin to relax.

You begin to appreciate yourself more.

All that really matters in the end is if you are living up to God's Truth alone.

And this blog intends to explore that.

21 January 2022

Something Good Surfaces All the Time

Do you believe that something good surfaces all the time, despite all the challenges in our lives?

I firmly believe that, for when it seems all is lost, something wonderful surfaces on its own.

And it seems that the key there is when you "trust and allow".

It always good to do your best but sometimes, you must ALLOW Heaven to help you.

Sometimes, you must step back and let God work His Miracles "through" you or "through" others.

After we pray and ask for help, we don't really know how the miracle will take place -- in what form, through which people, or how it will come through us.

But one thing for sure, Heaven never sleeps. God is always awake. The Angels are always on stand-by, waiting for God's Instructions.

There's only so much we humans can do and oftentimes, when we're all exhausted and depleted, not knowing what to do anymore, something wonderful surfaces and we say such things like:

"That was a miracle!"

"Where did that come from?"

And we gasp in awe at how things "seem" to have evolved on their own, without us even lifting a finger.

Another key to miracles is to keep believing.

Have faith that God is in charge and sees all we go through each day. 

There is nothing in Heaven that will not be for our good. It is all good. It is all God. We simply have to have faith that God is in charge, despite the seeming disorder and chaos in our lives and in this world.

Keep that grace.

Keep that faith.

Keep that love in your heart. 

You will love working with God.

If it feels good in your heart, then you know it's been a "prompt" from Heaven.

If it makes you cry as you set about that task, then you know it's from Heaven, for it touches your heart so.

If you do things without calling attention to yourself, but merely directing people back to the God, then you know it's from Heaven.

With help like that, how can one fail?

Updated 21 January 2022