In the Word Wednesday~ "Contagious Joy"

 By Christa Kinde

I have decided to try this again.  Since it is a new year I figured it was a great time to start anew.  It also helps me dig deeper into God's word.  I pray you get encouraged as much as I will.  God is Good!!!

"Contagious Joy"   By Christa Kinde

Chapter 1
Joyless Living
"All the joy is gone from our hearts.  Our dances have turned into dirges." Lamentations 5:15


She starts off with talking about what do we have in our houses.  Stuffed animals, board games, coloring books, train sets, cars, kitchen toys, scrapbooks, playstation 2, ipods, gameboys, are just some of the things that are in my home.  And yet with these things we hear "I'm bored."

Sometimes we feel this in our spiritual lives too.  We are surrounded by all of God's goodness and blessings.
We should be content and happy.  However we are restless, and bored, and the conviction that something is missing settles around us.  Like whiney children, we scuff our feet and grumble, "I'm bored."  With everything we have to be thankful for, we find no JOY in our days.

(This is so true for Me.)

1.  Joyless living is aptly discribed in Proverbs 23:29. (NKJV) Fill in the blanks.
"Who has_________?
Who has__________?
Who has_________?
Who has________?
Who has ________without_________?
Who has ________of________?"

2. What happened to the JOY of the people in Isaiah 24:11?

3. What signs of JOY are absent in Isaiah 24:8?

4.  This theme is repeated in these next two verses.  In each case, what lack is a symptom of JOYLESS living?
Ezekiel 26:13 and Psalm 137:2

5.  There's a distinct difference between those who are God's won and those who are not.  How does
Isaiah 65:14 contrast the two?

Circumstances have a way of conspiring to leech the JOY right out of our days.  Even though we know JOY is our rightful heritage from the Lord, we live as if we have never known JOY'S presence.  We long for Joy as if it were something far off and unobtainable.  But JOY isn't really a matter of receiving something new, but of discovering what has always been there.  For believers, sometimes discovering JOY is simply a matter of opening our eyes to a new way of seeing.

6. When JOY slips from our view, we can pray for its return.  What is the psalmist's prayer in Psalm 51:8?

7.  Feelings are tricky things.  We may know that JOY can be ours but still not really feel very JOYFUL.  This can be hard to explain to others, but what does Proverbs 14:10 remind us by way of reassurance?

We all have seen dreams turn to ashes - ugly things, hopeless experiences- but beauty for ashes is God's exchange.  In the midst of the darkness, you will lean lessons you might never have learned in the day.  Barbara Johnson

8.  If JOY is a matter of finding a new way of seeing, we can ask the Lord to show us the way into JOY.
     *What does David pray for in Psalm 16:11?

     *What does Psalm 25:4 ask the Lord to do?

     *In Psalm 119:18, what does the psalmist as God for?

9.  As with anything is which the Lord has a hand, there is hope.  What promise do we find in Psalm 30:5?

Ponder & Pray
Are you having trouble finding JOY in your days?  This is the perfect week to begin asking the Lord to open your eyes to His JOY.  Pray for a new way of seeing.  Ask God for a JOY that's unaffected by the changes in your circumstances or your emotions.

I hope you were encouraged today with "In the Word Wednesday."  If you have enjoyed this study please leave a comment.  Let me know what you think.  And if you would like a copy of the book I am using I can get that information to you also.  Praying you have a blessed week.

Lela