{":Peace, Joy And Hope:"}
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}
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}
