Monday, June 11, 2012

Day 1 - Week 67 - The first of our last three verses of joy, joy, and joy!

I think it's very cool that one of the two largest group of verses that we will cover is this one...the group regarding joy, God's kind of happiness.  Sometimes we get so bogged down in our earthly lives that we forget that we are called to lives of true and absolute joy.  Not a joy that ignores the unpleasant things around us, but a joy that, despite the unpleasantness of circumstances, sees beyond the current and sees into the much deeper and eternal aspects of our lives.  A joy that can only come from God, the giver of all good and perfect gifts.

So, on to our tenth joyful verse...and, believe me, this is one you're going to love memorizing! 

But before we get to that treat, let's review...

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.
Romans 12:18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (NKJV)
Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle word turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath."

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
John 15:11 "I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete."

And what is this week's verse that I just know you are going to welcome wholeheartedly?  Well it is a joyful verse, but it is also a very, very short verse.  The hardest thing to remember about this one will be the source...
1 Thessalonians 5:16  "Rejoice always!"

There you go...I think you'll have this one down quickly!  But as simple as it may be to memorize, it is certainly not that simple to live out.  Rejoice always...that means no matter what!  We already memorized Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again, 'Rejoice!'"...and now we get the condensed version...rejoice always!

This verse, coupled with the next two verses in 1 Thessalonians 5, will complete the dozen Scriptures that we will bank regarding the joy we are to have.  The next two are easy as well, but combined make a powerful combination of instruction for our lives.

Let's keep traveling down the trail of our 100 verses, and let's continue to do it with a joy that we have not previously known!

1 comment:

donna said...

A verse I might really be able to memorize. And, such a good verse. Rejoice always. Each morning praise God and rejoice in His goodness and His gift of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins. Each morning we start the day with a new clean slate. Rejoice that we have life.