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{":Peace, Joy And Hope:"} (85 hits)

PEOPLE ARE SEEKERS.

OFTEN THEY'RE SEEKING THE BENEFITS OF GOD:

PEACE, JOY, LOVE AND HEAVEN,

BUT THEY ARE NOT SEEKING THE RELATIONSHIP

WITH GOD REQUIRED TO ATTAIN THOSE BENEFITS.

GOD WANTS PEOPLE TO SEEK HIM,

NOT JUST HIS BENEFITS.

HE WANTS PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING

FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM,{Am 5:4}

PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE

FOR THAT RELATIONSHIP-

NOT BECAUSE HE WANTS TO SEE THEM SUFFER

BUT BECAUSE HE KNOWS

THE BENEFITS SUFFERING BRINGS.

PEACE, JOY AND HOPE SHINE MORE BRIGHTLY

IN A LIFE OF SUFFERING.

YOU WILL ONLY GAIN TRUE PEACE,

JOY AND HOPE THROUGH HAVING

A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

THOUGH SUFFERINGS IS OFTEN A PART

OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

PEOPLE ANTICIPATE WITH FEAR,

GOD USES IT TO PRODUCE

DEEP AND LASTING PEACE, JOY AND HOPE.

JOY IS NOT ONLY EMOTION TO BE DESIRED,

IT IS ALSO A COMMAND TO BE OBEYED.

JOY IS - TO SOME DEGREE - A CHOICE.

HOW CAN THIS BE?

ARE YOU TO SIMPLY IGNORE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

AND LIVE OUTSIDE OF REALITY?

NO, BUT A LIFE OF JOY CAN BE LEARNED -

AND SUFFERING IS MORE OFTEN THE TEACHER.

THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY POINT OUT

THE PAST TOWARD A LIFE OF JOY:

ACCEPT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

AND BE THANKFUL IN THEM {1Th 5:16-18},

CHOOSE NOT TO WORRY {Php 4:6},

FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS

RATHER THAN ON YOUR SITUATION -

FOLLOWING HIS EXAMPLE IN SUFFERING {Heb 12:2} -

AND PUT YOUR HOPE IN FUTURE GLORY

{2Co 4:16-18; Col 1:5; Tit 1:2}.

IT IS THROUGH THE JOY AND PEACE

EXHIBITED IN SUFFERING THAT GOD

IS MORE VISIBLE IN YOUR LIFE.

WHEN YOU LIVE A LIFE OF JOY -

REGARDLESS OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES -

OTHERS WILL SEE JESUS IN YOU.

WHATEVER YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES,

GOD LONGS TO COMFORT YOU,

HEAL YOU AND GIVE YOU HIS PEACE, JOY AND HOPE.

TAKE YOUR NEEDS TO HIM IN PRAYER.

LAY ALL YOUR HURTS IN WORRIES BEFORE HIM.

ASK HIM TO HELP YOU ACCEPT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES,

FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS

AND LIVE LIFE IN JOY AND PEACE.

" MAY THE GOD OF HOPE FILL YOU WITH

ALL JOY AND PEACE AS YOU TRUST IN HIM,

SO THAT YOU MAY OVERFLOW WITH HOPE

BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT" {Ro15:13}.

THIS WEEK, TRY TO LOOK AT YOUR LIFE

FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVES.

SEE YOUR LIFE ON THE SCREEN OF ETERNITY:

YOUR 70 YEARS OF LIFE ARE A MERE BLIP ON THE SCREEN.

IT IS ETERNITY THAT MATTERS.

PRAISE GOD THAT HE IS YOUR HOPE.

HE WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT YOU {Ro 5:5}