FAITH Archives | A Beautiful Belonging

He is where the JOY is, Part 2

October 1, 2021 / CATEGORIES - FAITH

joy in the Lord, joy-filled relationship with the Lord, how to have a joyful relationship with the Lord

As promised, here is Part 2 of He is where the JOY is!

– HOW TO CULTIVATE A JOY-FILLED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD –

Have you ever wondered how you can have joy when life is hard? Have you longed for a foundation rooted in the Lord that is not dependent on life circumstances? One that doesn’t disappear when we face bumps in the road?

As my last post described how the Lord is our source of joy, this post will give 4 practical ways that we can learn how to cultivate this type of joy-filled relationship with the Lord:

He is where the JOY is, Part 1

August 4, 2021 / CATEGORIES - FAITH

the joy of the Lord, he is where the joy is, John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches

He is where the JOY is! He is our source. He is our life.

Where do you turn when it feels like the weight of the world is crashing down on you? When life seems hopeless?

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

He is the vine. He is the source. Nothing that has been made is not from Him (John 1:3).

It is possible to have abundant joy in this life, but it can only be done by abiding in the giver of life. We must be connected to the vine, our source of life, the heartbeat behind every living thing, to experience true joy through all circumstances.

Release Anxiety and Be Content

April 8, 2021 / CATEGORIES - FAITH

do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

In Philippians 4, Paul was exhorting his friends and fellow servants of the Lord with a few different commands regarding their attitude toward men:

Agree with each other and do not argue (vs. 2)
Rejoice in the Lord (vs. 4)
Be gentle and let it be known to all (vs. 5)
Do not be anxious (vs. 6)
Pray about everything with thanksgiving (vs. 6)
Think about things that are pleasing to God (vs. 8)
Practice what you have learned (vs. 9)

And by doing these things and living this way, God’s peace would be with them (vs. 7 & 9).

Let’s focus in on Paul’s exhortation in vs. 6-7, “do not be anxious.”

Well, it’s impossible never to be anxious, right? We all get anxious and worried from time to time. But here, Paul doesn’t just leave them with this command. He offers a solution. He says “but.” Whenever the “but” word is shown in Scripture, we know there is going to be a contrasting statement or a solution to the problem. So, he says do not be anxious, but (or instead) PRAY! When you are anxious, go to God in prayer, and let your requests be made to him. And (or, then) his peace that is beyond our understanding will come upon us. Hear this, even though we cannot comprehend this peace, we can still experience it!