Bible Study on Joy

 

But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
    extol him who rides on the clouds;
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord 

Psalms 68:3-4

—-

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22

—-

The Lord has done it this very day;

    let us rejoice today and be glad. Psalms 118:24

—-

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,

    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. Isaiah 12:6

—-

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9

—-

 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. james 5:13

—-

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

—-

say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer,
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert. Isaiah 35:4-6

—-

The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

—-

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. james 1:2-3

—-

This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

—

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

This is a bible study from Courtney T Date 3-31-2020

This morning the whole house was sleeping and I had some quiet time with the Lord. It was a rare occurrence and I was grateful! 

I was reading Psalm 4. Verses 6-8 stood out to me in this season of more widespread uncertainty than we might be used to.

“There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? 

Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!" 

You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Verse 6 makes me think of Tony’s sermon and how the Shelter in Place can help identify idols that we may depend on to ‘show us good’.  He mentioned activities, travel, plans, people, etc. 

David goes on to write that the light of the Lord fills his heart (mind, spirit) with greater joy than any earthly possession (I think about so many people lacking familiarity, financial security, food security, etc).  

The picture of us laying down and sleeping in total peace makes me think of nursing Riona to sleep and her complete trust and comfort. She is relaxed, peaceful, still, in my arms. I am a safe place for her, how much more safe is the Lord as our refuge. The Lord loves and cares for us even more than I love my children!!  I am secure and safe in his care no matter what earthly comforts are stripped away. I pray that I grow in that security and release my grasp on the temporal aspects of this earth in exchange for seeking the eternally significant - what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable.

Bible Study on Stress

 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.  They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:10-14

———————

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:6-9

Lord, you are my God;

    I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

    you have done wonderful things,

    things planned long ago. You have been a refuge for the poor,

    a refuge for the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the storm

    and a shade from the heat. Isaiah 25:1-4

—-

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 

Psalms 18:2

——-

Surely God is my salvation;

    I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];

    he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

——-

The Lord is good,

    a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in him… Nahum 1:7

———-

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Joshua 8:1

—-

Be still, and know that I am God.. Psalm 46:10

—-