JOY

Isaiah 60:4-5
    "Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home.
     Your eyes will shine and you heart will thrill with joy..."


-- JOY --
It's not about happiness.

What?? So, if I'm happy, then I'm not joyful? Or if I'm joyful, then I'm not happy? 
...Let's keep reading.

The word "joy" does not necessarily equal the word "happy".
Joy is about what is fulfilling.

Hmm....okay. Keep it coming.


We, as the beautiful human beings that we are, feel empty. And we try to fill our lives with friends, family, music, computers, phones....the list is endless!
But in the end we still walk away with the same feelings. We walk away with that void, that space, that gaping hole.
It's still there.
And we've created this cycle of moving from one thing to the next, trying to fill that gaping hole.
Eventually, the things we try to fill our lives with may turn into addictions.
And this is where people REALLY get into trouble. They have only made the hole they are trying to fill deeper.
They've become trapped.

So, we come to the question, "How do I get out of this? Is there an escape??"

"A foolish man falls into a hole once, but a wise man falls into the hole twenty times."


Uhh...I don't understand. What does that mean?


The foolish man only falls into the hole once because he doesn't have the will or want to get out. He just sits there, and lets himself remain trapped.

The wise man continuously falls into the hole because he doesn't want to remain trapped. He will push and persevere and try with all his might to get out.
And with God's help, he can do that.

If we run with God, He will guide us along the correct path that avoids the holes we fall in.

Everyone makes mistakes. That's just a part of being human.
But it's what you do once you've fallen that defines who you are.

Are you going to stay trapped in your own sin?
or
Are you going to reach for the hand of God to help pull you back up?
Will you let God be your JOY and fill that gaping hole?

1st Samuel

So, here is a little bit of something from my devotions this morning...


1 Samuel 3:4-10 
       Then the LORD called Samuel.

       Samuel answered, “Here I am.”  And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

       But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

      Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”           

      “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

       Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

       A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

        Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down,  and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

      The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

      Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

My Thoughts: 

  1. The Lord calls Samuel but Samuel does not know God's voice.

        --From my experience, people will say they so badly want to hear God's voice, but for some reason God is not talking to them....Wake up and smell the coffee! (And I'm preaching to myself here, too.) God speaks all the time. We just don't spend enough time with Him to know His voice. God speaks in a still, small whisper. (1 Kings 19: 11-13) So, therefore WE must be still and quiet and intentionally listen for God's voice.

  2. Samuel was only a boy, so why did God call him??

       --As "young people" we must not underestimate ourselves and the great plans God has for each and everyone of us! 

      1 Timothy 4:12

          Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

        I know we've heard it time and time again (or at least I have) but for me, this is something difficult to always remember. God has big things planned for all of us. And if we accept him, everyone's path will end the same way...in eternal life in Heaven with our Father. 

To Take With You:

  Spend so much time with God that it is impossible NOT to hear his voice! :)

New to blogging

So, my name is Lauren. This is my first blog and I just wanted to see how this works and if it will even get any followers. haha.

A little bit about this blog :: My idea for this was just kind of to share my thoughts and ideas about what it means to be a Christ follower. My faith is very important to me. I am in love with Jesus Christ, the Creator and Savior of this world, and I feel, as a Christ follower, that it is my duty to share with others the love that God has for us and do my very best to expand His Kingdom.

Well there ya go! There's a little bit about me and my ideas/thoughts haha! Feel free to leave comments and whatnot. I'll add more, I promise!