Longing for God
Psalm 42, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long, people say to me, “Where is your God?”. I remember this as I pour out my heart: how I walked with many, leading the festive procession to the house of God with joyful and thankful shouts. Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God. “
As we walk through the Christian life, a disciple's life, we may come to realize that there are different seasons in each other’s lives. Times of plenty and times of need. Times of gain and times of loss. Time for peace and times of war. Times of sadness and times of gladness. Wherever you are, in your walk, do not let any one minimize where you are in your journey. That is, to say, don’t let any one disgard you or disrespect your opinion. However, make sure that you have true biblical and authentic community around you as to not let those season create in you - a bitter heart or bitterness of the soul.
How can we get to a place where even in the valleys and desert places we choose joy?
Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice"
James 1:2: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds"
Romans 12:12: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer"
John 16:24: "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full"
Proverbs 17:22: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones"
The Bible says that joy is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from faith and obedience. It's a natural part of the Christian faith and is different from earthly pleasures. Joy is meant to be shared with others.
Here are some other things the Bible says about joy:
The devil may tempt you to choose sin instead of joy.
You can fight back against negative thoughts by hiding God's Word in your heart.
You can choose to dwell on what is good in a person or situation, even in tragedy.
Christians are called to rejoice even through painful circumstances.
Jesus is an example of rejoicing in the midst of bad circumstances.
10 Bible Verses to Help You Choose Joy - Spokane Christian Counseling
How to Choose Joy. Joy is a choice. It's a fruit of the Spirit that the Holy Spirit bears in us (Galatians 5:22-23). But we can qu...
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Choosing Joy On The Way To Grouchy-ville - Proverbs 31 Ministries
Jun 10, 2016 — Ever been there? Recognizing my sorry state, I quieted my anxiety long enough to remember a favorite family saying: Ch...
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Choose Joy in Troubled Times - NIV Bible
How can you have a “cheerful heart” in the midst of grief and brokenness? The apostle Paul admonished us to trust God even within ...
