Psalm 126:6 - Joy after sorrow

Those who go out weeping,

     carrying seed to sow,

will return with songs of joy,

     carrying sheaves with them.

God gives us hope. So many painful things happen, but God restores our joy.

Lord, thank you for your restoration, bringing beauty from ashes, joy from weeping. Please help us to rely on you in our times of suffering and focus on the hope we have in you. Amen.

Psalm 119:143 - Our rock

Trouble and distress have come upon me,
     but your commands give me delight.

There will always be trouble and distress. There will always be things in our lives and things in the world that are difficult to bear. The blessing for the believer is the constancy of truth. It is our rock and even in the storm, the rock does not move. It is something to firmly hold on to in times of trouble and a place to find rest, peace and even joy.

Lord, thank you for your word and and the stability it brings to our lives. Please help us to cling to the truth in times of distress, Amen.

Psalm 100:2 - Gladness

Worship the Lord with gladness;
     come before him with joyful songs.

In this holiday season, let us be ever joyful, glad while we are worshiping and as we are going about our daily lives.

Lord, thank you for being an awesome God so worthy of our joy and gladness. Help us to share that joy and gladness with others. Amen.

Psalm 94:19 - Anxiety

When anxiety was great within me,
     your consolation brought me joy.

I learned something the other day I need to share to correct some of my earlier blog posts. David did not write all the psalms. Some of the psalms say "Of David," some say others, some don't give an author. So...I just thought I needed to clear that up.

Psalm 94 focuses on the cries of an oppressed people. Today, my life is so easy and I have never lived as an oppressed person, but I can imagine how much comfort the Jews in concentration camps in WWII took from these passages. I have nothing like the anxiety I know they must have felt, but if God can bring consolation to anxiety on that level, then he can surely ease my anxiety and bring me joy.

Lord, thank you for consoling us in our anxiety. Please help us to rely on you with the anxieties in our life. Amen.

Psalm 86:4 - Trust brings joy

Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
     for I put my trust in you.

On Wednesday night in Ladies class at church, we are studying One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Last week we talked about how when we trust God, we are given joy. The verse today echos this. When we trust God, we are giving up control and worry. In return we are able to relax and see the good in all things. We can be thankful for all things: for plenty and not enough, for health and sickness. I trust you God!

Lord, thank you for giving us joy. Please help us trust in you. Amen.

Psalm 56:3 - When I am _____, I put my trust in you.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

When I am anxious, I put my trust in you.
When I am sad, I put my trust in you.
When I am sick, I put my trust in you.
When I am angry, I put my trust in you.
When I am betrayed, I put my trust in you.
When I am marginalized, I put my trust in you.
When I am belittled, I put my trust in you.
When I am hurt, I put my trust in you.
When I am depressed, I put my trust in you.
When I am worried, I put my trust in you.
When I am happy, I put my trust in you.
When I am loved, I put my trust in you.
When I am comfortable, I put my trust in you.
When I am ______, I put my trust in you.

Amen.

Psalm 30:11-12 - Wailing into dancing

You turned my wailing into dancing;
     you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
     Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Just yesterday I heard three stories of tragic things which happened in people's lives, but this tragic thing produced a gift. None of us want to go through hard times, but God can use anything for his good. He takes our pain and transforms it into a blessing we could never have imagined.

Lord, thank you for using our pain in a beautiful way. Please help us to see the beauty you have created. Amen.

Psalm 28:7 - Amen

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
     and with my song I praise him.

Amen.

Psalm 21:6 - The joy of your presence

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

This verse is speaking to God of a king who has great trust in the Lord. Right now I need joy. I'm letting the stuff of this world cloud my joy in the presence of the Lord. I need to remember the unending blessings God has granted me and put my trust in him, not myself or my possessions (yesterday's verse is still working on me). "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" (Neh. 8:10)

Lord, thank you for your blessings and the joy your presence gives us. Please help us to be glad with that joy and trust only in you. Amen.

Psalm 6:6 - Sorrow

I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.

Right now I am on top of the world. My life is going fantastic! But in my joy, I must remember sorrow is only a moment away. While I celebrate, others mourn. While I feast, others are in famine. In chapter 6, David is pleading for mercy and healing. We have all have felt this kind of intense sorrow where we flood our bed with tears. In verse 9 he states his confidence that the Lord has heard his cry and accepts his prayer.

Lord, thank you for hearing us and shouldering our burdens. Please help us to remember those who are in sorrow, even when we are in a season of ease. Amen

Psalm 5:11 - Praying for other believers

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
     let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
     that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

The first three verses of this chapter are addressing God, as in the beginning of a prayer. I especially like verse 3, "In the morning Lord, you hear my voice". The writer then laments on his enemies. The end of the chapter he concludes with prayers for others and I think this may be what is missing in my prayer life. I pray for others sometimes, but not on a regular basis. Considering others, especially other believers, and their situations and needs will help me treat people better as I interact with them.

Lord, thank you for hearing our prayers. Please let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 - Our glory and joy

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Our glory and joy to present to Christ when he returns are those with whom we have shared the gospel and they have obeyed. Here Paul is speaking of the church at Thessalonica. Who is your glory and joy? Is there anyone you have helped to teach about Christ? If not, it's never too late to start.

Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to share the good news. Please lead us to people who are seeking you and help us to bravely share your word. Amen.

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Exodus 15:20 - Praise dancing

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.


This is a timbrel.

What a beautiful scene. The Israelites had just passed through the Red Sea and their enemies had been drowned and defeated by God. Moses offers a song of praise, then Miriam leads the women in timbrel playing and dancing as she sang to them.

Lord, thank you for all the miraculous things you do for us! Please help us to praise you with the same joy and energy Miriam displayed. Amen.

Psalm 47:1 - Still feeling the joy

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.

One last scripture from the class I taught on joy...

Lord, thank you for giving us your Spirit, which produces joy. Please let us not suppress it! Amen.

James 1:2 - Joy in times of trial

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  

As humans, life is not always perfect. In fact we will always have trials. If asked every person I came across today, I am sure everyone would have something they are struggling with. So, we will have trials, the question is how do we deal with them? Can we really be joyful in the face of trials? Absolutely. As we said, we are always facing a trial so if we allow ourselves to take time off from joy when there are trials in our life, we will never be joyful.

Lord, thank you for giving us the spirit of joy. Please help us to joyful always and in all circumstances. Amen.

Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I love this song by Twila Paris.

The joy of the Lord will be my strength
I will not falter, I will not faint
He is my Shepherd, I am not afraid
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord will be my strength
He will uphold me all of my days
I am surrounded by mercy and grace
And the joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord will be my strength

And I will not waiver, walking by faith
He will be strong to deliver me safe
And the joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

I'm singing the joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord

Well, the joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord is my strength

Lord, I pray that I am Joyful in all things. Amen