Joy Archives - My Manna

Joy is a Choice

My Manna — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Dr. Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, was imprisoned by the Nazis in World War II because he was a Jew. His wife, his children, and his parents were all killed in the Holocaust.

The Gestapo stripped him of his clothes. He stood totally naked before them. As they cut off his wedding band, Viktor said to himself, “You can take away my wife, you can take away my children, you can strip me of my clothes and my freedom, but there is one thing no person can ever take away from me—and that is my freedom to choose how I will react to what happens to me!”

Even under the most difficult of circumstances-
Joy is a choice which transforms our tragedies into triumph! Let’s face it, not everything goes our way. Things don’t always work out as we planned.

Some days are disasters. Other days are worse than them! Happiness comes easily when things go our way. Joy is different. It’s deeper.

It is a delight in the Lord! Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit! Happiness is external and subject to what happens. Joy is an inside glory in which we opt to rejoice regardless of the circumstances.

Don’t confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is a buoyant emotion that results from the momentary plateaus of well-being.

Joy is bedrock peace! Joy is a confidence that operates irrespective of our moods. Joy is the certainty that all is well, however we feel. Joy is a divine
dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances simply because we have chosen to respond in a positive manner.

Paul is saying in Philippians 4:4 that joy is not something that happens to me; But rather
something I deliberately and consciously choose. Circumstances seldom generate lasting smiles and laughter.

But- Joy comes to those who determine to choose it in the Lord in spite of their circumstances.

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

(PR)

The post Joy is a Choice appeared first on My Manna.

Don’t Hurt Yourself

My Manna — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000

As the leader of the masses out of Egypt-
Moses endured far more criticism than he deserved.

In Numbers 14, we read how God sent a whole bunch of people to die in the desert because of their incessant complaining.

When Moses’ own family picked up the sour song, God came to Moses’ defense.
To Miriam and Aaron, He said, “Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, Moses? So the anger of the Lord burned against them” (Numbers 12:8).

In other words-
“Just who do you think you are criticizing Moses like that?”

Notice God’s deep feelings.
He didn’t wait for their explanations.
And they didn’t wait long for the consequences.
God just said, “Enough!”

He hates it when we dwell on the perceived faults of another with no view to their good.
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to feel God’s heat in this true account.
He considers criticism a sin and He won’t tolerate it.

Obviously, we want to soften that judgment and call criticism a weakness or a bad habit or poor people skills.
While criticism is all that, it’s also a whole lot more.

If you have a critical attitude toward someone-
– you are hindering your fellowship with God!

He hears that bitter spirit come out in your words and wants nothing to do with it.
Makes you wonder, if your spiritual life feels like a wilderness right now – dry, cheerless, and joyless – maybe it’s because you’ve allowed a critical attitude to creep in.

It’s a choice that not only injures your horizontal relationship with others, but also your vertical relationship with God.
It’s your choice!

When He says, “Don’t!” what He really means is, “Don’t hurt yourself!”
When God says, “Don’t criticize,” it’s not because He wants to deprive us of some satisfactory experience.
He is actually saying, “That goes against the nature of who I have made you to be.”

Fish were made to swim.
Birds were made to fly.
People were made to live in fellowship with God.

When we criticize others, we break that fellowship with God.
We hinder our own joy, and our life becomes like a wilderness.

(PR)

The post Don’t Hurt Yourself appeared first on My Manna.

Joy is Strength

My Manna — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 17:00:00 +0000

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Joy!
It’s not a happy feeling you’re supposed to have now and then when things are going well.
It’s much more than that.

Joy is one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world.
Look again at Nehemiah 8:10 and I’ll show you why.

If you were to diagram that scripture and remove the phrase, “of the Lord,”
-you would find what it’s truly saying is this:

Joy is strength!
The two are interchangeable.
That’s what makes joy so crucial.

You can’t live a life of faith without being strong in the Lord–
And when God wants to make you strong, joy is what He uses to do the job!

Joy is not just a state of mind.
It is not a fleeting emotion.

Joy is a very real force!
And the devil doesn’t have anything that can stand up against it.

Just as fear has to yield to faith-
– discouragement has to yield to joy.

Since joy is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit-
– you already have it residing within you.

But you must develop it, confess it, and live by it if you want to enjoy its power.
Whatever circumstances you are facing today, you can be full of joy.

You can be strong in the Lord.
You can draw on the supply of the Holy Spirit within you and come out on top.

Rejoice!

(PR)

The post Joy is Strength appeared first on My Manna.

Don't Hurt Yourself

MyManna — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 22:00:30 +0000

“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it” (Numbers 12:1-9).
As the leader of the masses out of Egypt-
Moses endured far more criticism than he deserved.
In Numbers 14, we read how God sent a whole bunch of people to die in the desert because of their incessant complaining.
When Moses’ own family picked up the sour song, God came to Moses’ defense.
To Miriam and Aaron, He said, “Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, Moses? So the anger of the Lord burned against them” (Numbers 12:8).
In other words-
“Just who do you think you are criticizing Moses like that?”
Notice God’s deep feelings.
He didn’t wait for their explanations.
And they didn’t wait long for the consequences.
God just said, “Enough!”
He hates it when we dwell on the perceived faults of another with no view to their good.
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to feel God’s heat in this true account.
He considers criticism a sin and He won’t tolerate it.
Obviously, we want to soften that judgment and call criticism a weakness or a bad habit or poor people skills.
While criticism is all that, it’s also a whole lot more.
If you have a critical attitude toward someone-
– you are hindering your fellowship with God!
He hears that bitter spirit come out in your words and wants nothing to do with it.
Makes you wonder, if your spiritual life feels like a wilderness right now – dry, cheerless, and joyless – maybe it’s because you’ve allowed a critical attitude to creep in.
It’s a choice that not only injures your horizontal relationship with others, but also your vertical relationship with God.
It’s your choice!
When He says, “Don’t!” what He really means is, “Don’t hurt yourself!”
When God says, “Don’t criticize,” it’s not because He wants to deprive us of some satisfactory experience.
He is actually saying, “That goes against the nature of who I have made you to be.”
Fish were made to swim.
Birds were made to fly.
People were made to live in fellowship with God.
When we criticize others, we break that fellowship with God.
We hinder our own joy, and our life becomes like a wilderness.
(PA)

The post Don't Hurt Yourself appeared first on My Manna.

Joy is a Choice

MyManna — Sat, 20 May 2017 22:00:56 +0000

Dr. Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, was imprisoned by the Nazis in World War II because he was a Jew. His wife, his children, and his parents were all killed in the Holocaust. The Gestapo stripped him of his clothes. He stood totally naked before them. As they cut off his wedding band, Viktor said to himself, “You can take away my wife, you can take away my children, you can strip me of my clothes and my freedom, but there is one thing no person can ever take away from me—and that is my freedom to choose how I will react to what happens to me!”
Even under the most difficult of circumstances-
Joy is a choice which transforms our tragedies into triumph! Let’s face it, not everything goes our way. Things don’t always work out as we planned.
Some days are disasters. Other days are worse than them! Happiness comes easily when things go our way. Joy is different. It’s deeper.
It is a delight in the Lord! Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit! Happiness is external and subject to what happens. Joy is an inside glory in which we opt to rejoice regardless of the circumstances.
Don’t confuse happiness with joy. Happiness is a buoyant emotion that results from the momentary plateaus of well-being. Joy is bedrock peace! Joy is a confidence that operates irrespective of our moods. Joy is the certainty that all is well, however we feel. Joy is a divine
dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances simply because we have chosen to respond in a positive manner.
Paul is saying in Philippians 4:4 that joy is not something that happens to me; But rather
something I deliberately and consciously choose. Circumstances seldom generate lasting smiles and laughter. But- Joy comes to those who determine to choose it in the Lord in spite of their circumstances.
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
(PA)

The post Joy is a Choice appeared first on My Manna.

Ephemeral emotion

MyManna — Mon, 08 May 2017 22:00:39 +0000

“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22.

Ruut Veenhoven, a Dutch researcher, carefully reviewed and analyzed 30 separate studies on the relationship between joy and health.

Joyful people, Veenhoven concluded from his studies-
– are less likely to fall sick, and joy, he discovered, actually adds more years to a person’s life.

Numerous health studies have proven that joy-
– boosts the immune system,
– lowers stress hormones,
– decreases pain,
– relaxes the muscles and
– prevents heart disease.

The human system, in its fallen state-
– is certain to regress under the stress and strain of life.

Our physical frame cannot hold up if our mental, emotional and spiritual states of being are dampened.
Nothing strengthens our emotions and mental state like the spiritual force of joy.

The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10.

The joy of the Lord is not-
– an ephemeral emotion that is dependent on the availability of the fine material things of life.

The joy of the Lord is-
– that boundless energy the Holy Spirit works through our human spirit,
– welling up into eternal gladness.

This joy is a wellspring of life-
– giving strength to every part of our being,
– and keeping us in sound health.

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in us indeed, quickening our mortal bodies to the glory of God.
So, we have a spiritual force of joy this world knows nothing of, and it is our strength and continual source of good health.

A cheerful spirit and gladness of heart in the natural produces tremendous health effects; how much more the spiritual force of joy we possess by the Spirit.

We can trust the joy of the Lord to sustain our health-
– just as we can trust it to give us strength and raise us up from sickness.

The Bible records that the Lord gave the Israelites great joy-
– after they had made a commitment to obedience and adherence to the Word of God. Nehemiah 12.

We can activate and preserve the joy of the Lord-
– by an attitude of continuous praise and singing,
– and also by studying and adhering to the Word of God.

This will be health to our flesh and life to our bones.

“Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10.
(PA)

The post Ephemeral emotion appeared first on My Manna.

Joy is Strength

MyManna — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 22:00:45 +0000

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Joy!
It’s not a happy feeling you’re supposed to have now and then when things are going well.
It’s much more than that.
Joy is one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world.
Look again at Nehemiah 8:10 and I’ll show you why.
If you were to diagram that scripture and remove the phrase, “of the Lord,”
-you would find what it’s truly saying is this:
Joy is strength!
The two are interchangeable.
That’s what makes joy so crucial.
You can’t live a life of faith without being strong in the Lord–
And when God wants to make you strong, joy is what He uses to do the job!
Joy is not just a state of mind.
It is not a fleeting emotion.
Joy is a very real force!
And the devil doesn’t have anything that can stand up against it.
Just as fear has to yield to faith-
– discouragement has to yield to joy.
Since joy is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit-
– you already have it residing within you.
But you must develop it, confess it, and live by it if you want to enjoy its power.
Whatever circumstances you are facing today, you can be full of joy.
You can be strong in the Lord.
You can draw on the supply of the Holy Spirit within you and come out on top.
Rejoice!
(PR)

The post Joy is Strength appeared first on My Manna.

Communication With Your Creator

MyManna — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 22:00:20 +0000

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
One Sunday a little boy was acting up during the morning worship hour at church.

The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew, but were quickly losing the battle.

Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly down the aisle on his way out.

Just before reaching the foyer, the child called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”
At some point in time, every Christian feels just like that little boy.

They’re staring in the face of an undesirable outcome and their only hope is to simply say, “Pray for me.”

But what if, instead of it being a last resort, prayer was the first place you went?

What if being in a persistent state of faithful prayer wasn’t just something you did when times got tough, but was a way of life?
This is exactly the kind of attitude the apostle Paul wrote about in today’s passage.

He says that the Christian life isn’t just about praying when times get tough; it’s about praying at all times—good and bad.
The faith that sustains you when things look the worst is the very same faith that sustains you when things are at their best.

So pray continually.

If things are good, thank God for His blessings in your life.

If things are bad, pray that God would show you His purpose.

Communication with your Creator is the key to living a life filled with God’s very best!
Ask God to remind you to stay connected with Him through prayer in the good times and bad.

The post Communication With Your Creator appeared first on My Manna.

Relax and Rejoice!

MyManna — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 22:30:54 +0000

“He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength…
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah.40:29-31.
Spiritual joy is-
– neither to do with having our naturally desired outcome
– nor linked to the achieving of our anticipated human results.
Spiritual joy is-
– a power the redeemed receives from God following our new birth in Christ,
– and sustained by our constant fellowship relationship with Him.
Through our reconciliation to God’s Holy Spirit made possible by our new birth in Christ-
– we have God’s supernatural Holy Spirit presence in us.
The presence of God as LOVE itself in us-
– is presence of a joy, peace and rest, which surpasses human reasoning and natural understanding.
The joy of the LORD is a divine strength-
– which keeps us strong in situations meant by the enemy to debilitate and emotionally stagnate us.
And as long as we remain in oneness and in perfect fellowship relationship with God-
– we will in His presence continually remain joyfully strong in all realms and dominion no matter the situation or circumstances we can possibly find ourselves in.
God’s joy as divine power in us gives us-
– the might and the strength we require to rise above our human feelings of negative emotions.
Through God’s prevailing joyous feelings in our hearts-
– sadness and sorrow can never have its way in our soul.
The joy of the LORD protects our hearts and souls from sorrowfulness-
– and it shields us from the crippling effects of sadness and negative emotions.
The joy of the LORD is indeed our strength.
And as long as we remain in God’s presence-
– we will remain full of His supernatural strength, joy, peace and rest in all the seasons of our lives.
In the midst of our mind boggling natural situations-
– the joy of the LORD as supernatural strength enables us to be strong.
It gives us might in the midst of weakening situations.
It keeps us joyful in the midst of sad situations and makes us to be full of laughter in our spirit man amidst daunting tearful natural circumstances.
Our soul in the supernatural presence of God-
– is daily sweetened and gladdened by His outpouring of His loving kindness upon our lives.
And our spirit man in His divine Holy Spirit presence-
– will daily rejoice and be gladdened no matter our natural world situations to the utmost glory of God our Maker.
Rejoice in the presence of the LORD today.
Magnify His presence daily in you with your riotous worship and praise.
Strive daily to habitually praise Him in the beauty of His holiness.
Make a joyful noise and reverence His holy name.
Relax and rejoice in the presence of God.
He is faithful and He will always make a way where there seem to be no way.
“LORD God I praise You in my heart and worship You in my spirit. Fill me up with Your joy and sweeten my spirit with Your blessed assurances. Have Your way in me LORD today and forever. Keep me as Yours and let my soul be gladdened always by the assurances of Your loving kindness for me. Amen.”

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Joy is a Choice

MyManna — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:30:15 +0000

The post Joy is a Choice appeared first on My Manna.