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Author Topic: Your Heart’s Desires
barrykind
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Member # 35

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Daily Meditation
"A place for your mind to dwell."

Your Heart’s Desires

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Unfortunately, many people believe that the things they own, have the power to bring true joy into their lives. Nevertheless, Scripture clearly teaches that this is not what joy is.

“So what is Joy,” you ask? The dictionary defines joy as “Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.” OK, what is happiness? It is “Enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction, or joy.” You may be thinking that “joy” and “happiness” are the same. Wrong!

Happiness refers to your overall sense of satisfaction with life, at any given moment. Happiness is completely dependent upon your circumstances, and is subject to change from minute-to-minute, depending on what is happening in your life.

On the other hand, “joy” is the capacity to operate from a position of strength, despite your circumstances. My friend, true joy is internal and lasting. Because of that, you can rejoice even during trials, because the source of your joy is internal. It does not change! You may be thinking, “How can I obtain that kind of joy?” Let’s take a look at two sources from which you may glean godly joy for your life.


True “joy” is the result of your personal relationship with Jesus. The peace and joy Jesus brought into the world is unchanging. He said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27). My friend, the world can only give transitory happiness. If you want true “joy,” everlasting “joy,” “joy” “unspeakable and full of Glory,” you will find it in Jesus.
Next, “joy” is the result of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Do you understand? God’s Spirit, the “Holy Spirit,” is is alive and active in your life, as a child of God. This is what will produce a wellspring of joy in your life, as you become more and more like Jesus.

Joy is not found in a big shiny car. You don’t own it anyway, the bank does. (Smile) Joy is not found in a big house, you won’t own that for years, and by then you will be too old to enjoy it. Joy is not found in a bunch of gold around your neck. (Most of that gold will rub off with a pencil eraser.) Think of it this way; the gold men kill for, is going to be used to pave the streets in heaven. (Revelation 21:21) Joy is not found in that beautiful lady, she will get old, and gain wrinkles. Joy is not found in that man that looks like Charles Atlas, his muscles will gravitate from his chest to his waist.

My friend, anything that the world gives, the world can also take away. Don’t you dare depend on worldly things, to bring joy into your life. Only God can touch you with an unending source of heavenly joy.

My friend, “delight yourself in the LORD.” When you do that, He “will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."(Isaiah 58:14)

Right now, you can determine, “I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy.”(Psalms 43:4) You can conclude “May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.”(Psalms 104:34) Go ahead my friend, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”(Psalm 37:4)

Rev. Russ McDonald
Reprinted By Permission

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The HEART of the issue is truly the issue of the HEART!
John 3:3;Mark 8:34-38;James 1:27

Posts: 3529 | From: Orange, Texas | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator


 
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