Category Archives: Joy

Affection, Bible, Death, Emotions, Gentleness, Joy, Mourning, Scripture, Sorrow, Tears

MOURNING – NOT JUST A WOMAN THING

ZECHARIAH 12:14

“all the families that are left, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.”

Okay, let me ask you something. How many of you grew up being told that real men don’t cry? I can remember my own, dear mother telling me, “Now, now, big boys don’t cry.” I know she meant well and was just trying to comfort me. After all, no one wants to be a cry baby, right? But emotions are felt by all.

In Zechariah 12:12-14, Zechariah says five times, “and their wives by themselves.” Now no one during those days would have been surprised by that. In fact, there were women who were professional mourners. So, why does Zechariah point the women out. Perhaps he wanted to say that so that it would highlight the other mourners, the men. Mind you – this is just my speculation, but it is a thought.

APPLICATION

Let me address the men today. Listen to me – big boys do cry. There is nothing weak about shedding a tear. There is nothing unmanly about showing sorrow and grief. In fact, one of the manliest things you can do is show appropriate emotion when it is called for.

Do I have to remind you of John 11:35. “Jesus wept.” Our Lord and Savior wept at the grave of his dear friend Lazarus. He did not weep because of Lazarus’ death. That would soon be overturned. He knew before He even left for Bethany that He would call forth Lazarus from that tomb. He wept because of the sorrow He saw in the faces of Mary and Martha and others. His heart was touched by that.

I used to get asked to sing a lot at funerals. I seldom had a problem doing that without getting choked up, even if I knew the person well. But if I started looking at the loved ones as I sang, I could easily get teary eyed. Sorrow and grief, men, is a natural emotion God has given us. Show other men how powerful it can be in their lives as you love on others during these times.

Father, thank You for the power of sorrow. It prepares the way for joy!

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Affection, Bible, Crying, Joy, Scripture, Sorrow, Tears

THE REST OF THESE HORSES

ZECHARIAH 6:3

“with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot strong spotted horses.”

Emotions – they get the best of us, don’t they? I’m a crier. I’ve shared that before. I can cry at the slightest thing. Hallmark commercials make me cry. That old Maxwell House coffee commercial with the young man coming home at Christmas and slipping through the kitchen door, surprising everyone – oh man – waterworks for me, lol.

Why am I talking about crying? Because these last two horses – white and spotted – could cause tears to fall. The white horse can represent joy and victory, two things that bring about tears. It also represented the empire of Alexander the Great, who for the most part was gentle to the Jews. The spotted horse means a mixture of emotions, both good and bad. It also stood for Rome, who in itself was a mixture of all the nations it had conquered.

APPLICATION

What drives your emotions, your tears? When was the last time you cried over a lost soul? The western society manhood card says men cannot cry. Excuse me, but that is just plain baloney. Real men are not afraid to cry. They aren’t afraid to get vulnerable. But we can also cry for those joyous moments. We don’t have it recorded in Scripture, but can’t you just imagine those disciples around the campfire with Jesus after His resurrection? There had to be some tears of joy going on.

Our emotions range from sadness to joy, and both can be expressed through tears. Jesus wept in sorrow over Jerusalem. We know He wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). Do you want to be like Jesus? Then be willing to show your emotions. Cry a little. Laugh a lot. (I just believe Jesus had a great sense of humor.)

Joy and mixed emotions were portrayed by those two horses. That must be important for us. Will you join me in crying tears of joy in knowing all that Christ has done for us? Will you join me in crying tears of sorrow at the estate of our world right now? But let’s not just cry. When we are done and have wiped our eyes and nose, let’s put those tears into action. Let’s tell the greatest story every told to everyone. Let’s get a response out of them. Hopefully, that will bring even more tears of joy!

Tears of joy flow down my cheeks as I think of all You have done for me, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

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Abiding, Bible, Joy, Rejoicing, Return, Scripture

SHOUT FOR JOY

ZECHARIAH 2:10

“‘Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,’ declares the LORD.”

I can get excited about a lot of things, can’t you? I can yell and scream for my favorite team. I can shout for joy at the announcement of the birth of a grandbaby. I can even shout for joy during worship. Shouting for joy usually is associated with the arrival of something – a person, good news. What are you shouting for joy about?

The Lord tells the people it is time to shout for joy and rejoice? Why? Because He is coming! Wow! Can you imagine the smiles on the faces of these weary children of Israel? The great Jehovah is coming into their midst. He is returning to dwell among them. What a shout must have gone up at this news from Zechariah!

APPLICATION

Isaiah 12:6 says almost the same thing. “Shout and cry aloud for joy, O inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.” This wasn’t a new announcement – one that the people had not heard before, but it had been a while. In Albert Barnes’ commentary of Zechariah, he says this about this verse. “The source of joy is a fresh coming of God, a coming, whereby He should dwell abidingly among them: truly what is this, but the Incarnation? As John saith, ‘The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us.’”

You know how sweet it is to dwell in His presence. There is just something special about getting up close and personal with the God of the universe. As a believer, He dwells in you in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 6:19. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”

I am not my own. My body, my soul, my spirit all belong to Him. When God indwells you, He indwells all of you. No more hidden passageways. No more closets closed off to Him. He demands access to all of you. And when we surrender our all, the joy erupts. We can’t help but to shout for joy. Are you shouting for joy today?

There’ll be joy in the morning on that day!

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Bible, Joy, Reconciled, Rejoicing, Salvation, Scripture

HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU

ZEPHANIAH 3:17

“‘The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.’”

Children need their parents to show them praise. They need to know how proud their parents are of them. This can be done with words or deeds, but however it is done, it must be done. The absence of praise or rejoicing in a child’s life can have lifetime effects. Don’t underestimate how much your child needs this. They probably will never ask for it. Just do it.

Don’t you just love today’s verse? God, the One who made all things, the One who redeemed you from your sins, He rejoices over you. He rejoices over you with shouts of joy. Can you believe that? Shouldn’t we be doing that towards Him? Of course, we should. But He also rejoices over us. What a glorious thought!

APPLICATION

Those days when you are feeling lowly, remember this. He loves you with an everlasting love. His love is eternal. It will never end. There is nothing you can do to cause Him to stop loving you. He loved you while you were His enemy. Listen to these words from Paul in Romans 5:10-11. “10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Did you catch that second verse? We also celebrate. So, while God is rejoicing over us with joy, we are rejoicing that we have been reconciled back to Him. We rejoice because He rejoices. He rejoices when we rejoice. Doesn’t that give you something to shout about today?

Celebrate Jesus today. He is celebrating you. He loves you so much and wants you to know that. If He were here today (and He is through His Holy Spirit), He would be telling you that to your face. Listen to the Spirit that is within you. He is telling you the same thing. “My beloved, I rejoice in you.”

I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You, O my soul rejoice.

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Abiding, Attitude, Bible, Exalting, Glory, Joy, Praise, Rejoicing, Scripture

SHOUT FOR JOY!

ZEPHANIAH 3:14

“‘Shout for joy, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, Israel! Rejoice and triumph with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!’”

I have been to Africa about 17 times, if my counting is correct. I love to hear my brothers and sisters sing and watch them dance before the Lord. To say they get a little excited is an understatement. The first time I heard the high pitched sound the women make with their tongues (called a tongue-wag), it shocked me. But now I just wish I could do it. It comes during a time of high praise for our God. It really is moving to me.

Here in Zephaniah 3:14 we see the Lord calling on the people to shout – for joy, in triumph. They are called to rejoice and triumph will all their hearts. God calls them the daughter of Zion, Israel and the daughter of Jerusalem. All three of those names point to a relationship with the Father. Did you know that “Israel” means contended with God and can be also said to mean triumphant with God? All reasons to shout for joy.

APPLICATION

How can you shout for joy today? I don’t mean to go outside and scream and scare your neighbors. I don’t mean jumping up and yelling “Jesus” at the top of your longs the next time you are church. I am talking about living your life in a manner that it shouts for joy. How do you do that?

I love 1 and 2 Peter. I quote them a lot because Peter gives us so many applicable words from the Lord. 2 Peter 1:3-4 is one of those passages. “3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.”

If those aren’t words to shout about, I don’t know what is. Let your life shout for joy today. Let your words, even in the quiet moments, shout for joy. Let your face shout for joy. In other words, let your whole being shout for joy. Fill your heart with joy by celebrating who you are in Christ.

I will shout and sing for joy to You, my great and mighty King.

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Bible, Despair, Joy, Modeling, Peace, Praise, Scripture, Singing

GLOOM, DESPAIR AND AGONY

ZEPHANIAH 1:15

“That day is a day of anger, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,”

Back in the 1970’s a comedy show hit the airwaves of the U.S. entitled “Hee Haw.” One of the songs that was sung regularly on the show was about gloom and despair. The lyrics were:

Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me

These words may not all fit today’s verse, but they sure come close to how someone who was facing the day of the Lord and His judgment would feel. Of course, it wasn’t about having bad luck. It was all about bad choices – specifically one – rejecting Jehovah in favor of idolatry and rebellion. That choice would certainly bring gloom, despair and agony.

APPLICATION

We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior have no reason to worry about gloom, despair or agony. Our hope is in Him. Certainly, none of those words describe our Lord. He is joy, light and radiance. He brings peace and comfort. He exudes the glory of God.

So, why do so many Christians walk around singing that old Hee Haw song? They almost act like Eeyore, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh. Every time you see them all you hear about is how bad things are. They are children of the King, but they act like a lowly peasant who has been downtrodden and forgotten.

I choose to walk in victory. I choose to sing a different song. I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. He has put a new song in my heart. Will you sing with me? Will you praise His holy name? Let the world know about the joy you have because you have chosen to follow Jesus. They need to hear it and you need to proclaim it.

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!

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Bible, Blessing, Encouragement, Eternity, Glory, Heaven, Inspirational, Joy, Light, Promises, Salvation, Scripture

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD 

MICAH 7:9 

“I will endure the rage of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will look at His righteousness.” 

I remember the day I married my wife. I remember seeing her appear in the doorway of the sanctuary. It was the first time I had seen her in her wedding dress. She was beautiful. I watched her as she walked down the aisle, knowing that in a matter of minutes, we would be married. Joy was bubbling over. 

Micah seems to share a similar joy in knowing the LORD would bring him out to the light and he could look at His righteousness. Micah knows he is not worthy of such a sight, but the LORD has forgiven him of his sins and pleaded his case. Wow! What a sight to behold. 

APPLICATION 

One day we will see Jesus. Can you imagine? We all have a picture in our minds of what that will be like, but none of them come close to the actual. Jesus’ presence before us will be the culmination of our spiritual journey. We will be safely in His arms for eternity. 

I have had the privilege to see some magnificent sights – the flight of thousands of pink flamingos in Kenya, the sun rising out of the Atlantic Ocean, the birth of my children. Those are just a few. But none will compare to the sight of my Lord. Just like Micah, He has pleaded my case and has executed justice for me. 

I have been given the promise of eternity with my Lord. It will be a place that is lit by His radiance. The glory of God will be everywhere! I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to eternity. I am looking forward to seeing my Jesus. Are you? 

Thank You Lord, for the promise of eternal life with You. I cannot wait to see Your face.  

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Battles, Bible, Blessing, Drought, Fruit, Harvest, Hope, Joy, Rejoicing

DON’T BE A SCAREDY CAT

JOEL 2:22

“Do not fear, animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, for the tree has produced its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.”

Have you ever been around feral cats? You can’t get near them. They come out of the barns or bushes and look at you, but if you make one step toward them, they disappear. They hunt constantly for food and always look scrawny and underfed. It’s hard to see any animal like that – even a cat, lol.

Joel is spreading good news to even the animals. They have been suffering for so long with the drought and the locusts. They haven’t seen anything green to eat in quite a while. Now the Lord is turning the pastures green. He is bringing forth the fruit of the trees and the vines. The animals should be dancing with joy.

APPLICATION

What has the Lord restored in your life? Do you remember times when your needs were great, and the Lord came through and met just what you needed? The Lord always comes through – every time. He may be late, according to our timetable. But He’s not late according to His. Listen to this verse. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

Maybe you are going through a tough time right now and feel the Lord is not hearing your prayers. He is. I promise. Trust in His timetable. I am sure those people in Judah thought the Lord had forgotten them. But He showed up just when He planned. Our suffering is always to make us more like Him. Don’t complain about it. Embrace it and allow Him to bring you through.

I remember vividly the days after I came to Christ. The grass was greener, and the sky was bluer. I saw life for the first time in a long time. His promises are true. I learned I could trust Him. He brought me through some tough times to get me there. He has continued to bring me through. Each time I trust Him, He teaches me more.

O Mighty Father, I will wait on You. You have always come through and I know You always will.

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Bible, Blessing, Comfort, Direction, Disciplemaking, Drought, God's Will, Inspirational, Joy, Praise, Rejoicing

SHOUT FOR JOY

JOEL 2:21

“Do not fear, land; shout for joy and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things.”

I am a huge football fan, especially of the Georgia Bulldogs (Go DAWGS!). If it’s possible, I’m going to watch them play on. Saturdays. And when they are scoring and winning, I am shouting for joy. My wife thinks I’m crazy, but that’s okay. I love my DAWGS, and I’m going to support them every chance I get.

Joel isn’t talking about my DAWGS today, but he is talking about shouting for joy. In fact, he tells the land to not fear, but to shout for joy and rejoice. There’s been a period of mourning with the droughts and the locusts, but now the Lord is restoring the land. He says “for the Lord has done great things.” It is only because of the Lord. It is His workings.

APPLICATION

Do you feel like shouting? Can you rejoice in the great things the Lord has done in your life? You may not feel much like shouting for joy. Perhaps you have been in a period of mourning. But the Lord has still done great things. Look around you. I bet you can point out several things He has done for you lately. Rejoice in them.

It is often in our lowest moments that we can see His handiwork. The Lord comes down to us to lift us up. And He often teaches us very important life lessons when we are at our lowest. That may seem crazy, but it’s true. I know it’s been true in my life. So, take a moment and look around. Ask the Lord to reveal them to you.

When I was going through my first stem cell transplant in 2010, the Lord taught me to trust Him. My faith grew exponentially during those months. In 2020 during my second stem cell transplant, the Lord taught me the importance of being a godly example to others. He wanted to use me to show others how to trust. It wasn’t about me at all. For those lessons, I rejoice. Will you rejoice for yours?

I thank You, Lord, for all the lessons You have taught me in my life. I praise Your holy name.

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Abiding, Advice, Battles, Bible, Joy, Judgment, Modeling, Testimony

NO JOY

JOEL 1:16

“Has food not been cut off before our eyes, and joy and rejoicing from the house of our God?”

There have been times in my life when my joy thermometer didn’t register very high. Things were going wrong all around me. Every ounce of joy was gone. Nothing made me happy. I snapped at people, and it seemed everyone got on my nerves. Those are not fun times. I’ll tell you what I found in a sec.

Joel is telling Judah that they are going to experience the same thing. No joy! No rejoicing! Everything is wrong. But Joel is pointing them towards the reason why. Their disobedience. True joy never precedes obedience. Because of their disobedience to God, their joy was gone. Judgment was upon them.

APPLICATION

Those time I mentioned about me – I had the same problem. When I began to look at myself, I saw that I wasn’t spending the time I needed in prayer or in God’s Word. I was letting the worries of this life come in and choke me. I was too busy looking at myself instead of looking towards my Savior.

Have you had similar times? Take your eyes off of yourself. Dig deep in His Word. He will restore your joy. In fact, the joy never left you. His joy indwells you when come to Him as Savior. We just let stuff cover it up. Shake off all those thoughts and concentrate on what He has done for you. I promise the joy will erupt.

Joyless living is not living at all. We need to be spreading the joy of Jesus to everyone every day. They need to know we are Christians by the expressions on our faces. Our smiles should tell them. Then when they ask why we are so happy, we can tell them it’s not happiness. It’s joy, and here’s why we are joyful. Try it today.

Thank You, Lord, for restoring my joy. Thank You for giving me a joy-filled life.

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