Look up!
Through it all, keep your eyes on Jesus! I do believe this is the best advice I can give to myself and those around me.
When we do that, we will be looking at the One who has all the answers. Look up, not around! When we look up we are looking toward the heavens, but when we look down or around, we are looking only at the carnal world. Earthly carnal things change, but heavenly things always remain the same; they never change! Looking up and to the light of Jesus Christ, we will have joy and strength. Nehemiah 8:10 … Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Everyone who calls himself a Christian should have the joy of the Lord because his or her strength comes from that joy. We need to read the scriptures about joy and apply them to our life.
We live in a very sinful, sick world, but when we have Jesus in our life, we are to tell others about where our hope, joy, and peace come from -- His name is Jesus. He came to make a way (the only way!) for all people to have eternal life. We simply must believe and trust in Jesus Christ who died to pay for our sins. Our purpose is to tell others that they too can have hope, joy, and peace of mind.
The joy comes because we have life eternal with the Creator of the world and we are saved from our sin because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. The early disciples had extreme hardships. Nevertheless, Paul wrote in Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Paul calls our purpose a race and we need to finish it with joy, just like Paul and the other disciples did.
I feel sorry for those who turn their back on the Gospel of Jesus Christ because time is running out! For those of us who know Heaven is our home, let us enjoy the journey, even in hard or devastating times. Joy comes when we know our Lord is with us, and He will see us through.
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.
Recent Dear Judy Posts
Will people always speak in tongues after getting saved?
My life is a mess! I know I have done so many things wrong. I have hurt so many people. I call myself a Christian, so how do I make all this right?
By faith, just like you received Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you will release the language! Just get on your knees and surrender. Ask the Lord Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and He will! Find a Bible preaching Pentecostal church where the Spirit is moving with signs and wonders and miracles. This is all very exciting!
What is the difference between being happy and having joy? Aren’t they the same?
Recent Food For Thought Articles
I see so many believers focusing on world events and the despair in our world. That may well be a focus for the unbeliever but certainly not for a believer! If we read our manual for success (Bible) and obey what it is teaching us, then we will have all our focus on Jesus and the cross! Jesus did everything for us on t
The Lord speaks to us through His manual for success (Bible). But are we listening? We are living in very evil times, but we can also see revival among people if we watch Christian News. When people get saved in great numbers, we need to pray for them to truly get connected. A merely emotional experience is not becoming born again. Conversion is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross, died, and rose again, and we ask Him to forgive our sin.
Every day we hear something in the news that is so devastating, but as children of God we always have hope. So many Christians might attend church and read the Bible but still have no understanding of the Lord’s precious gift of Hope. Hope brings and builds trust IN our Lord no matter what happens.
Everywhere we look, so many people are going through horrible things. Every time I take a hot shower, the Lord brings to my mind how many people have no water at all! Bad weather and fires have destroyed so many lives. People without the Lord have no hope. But those who have received Jesus as their personal Savior and are trusting HIM and His Promises found in their manual for success (the Bible) – they have hope!