After All I Have Been Through,i Still Have Joy

The Author of out text is David; you do remember David don’t you?

- His name means “beloved”, a man after God’s own heart

- You remember David, Jesse’s boy; he watched the sheep as a boy

- You know David, he was a musician

- David, an armor bearer for King Saul, he killed Goliath.

- This same David after becoming king brought the arc of the covenant back to Jerusalem

after it had been gone for over 70 years and dance like a mad man

- You remember it was David, while fleeing for his life with trouble on every hand had to

“encourage himself in the Lord”

- It was David who after fighting a battle came back home and the enemy had taken

everything he had including his wife and kids and the Lord to him to pursue his enemies

and he gave him double for his trouble

- This same David schemed and laid up with Bathsheba; Solomon’s momma

He simply starts out by saying (Psalms118:1) (118:29) O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever.

- But how many know it is hard to give God thanks when you have lost your Joy?

- I wish you would be real honest in here and stand up and tell the truth. And say preacher it is real hard to give thanks when you have lost your Joy!

- Does anybody know that it is hard to give thanks, wave Holy hands and to say how good God is when you don not have any joy?

- I mean it is real hard to give God the praise when you broke as a joke and pulling lent out your pocket during offering time

- It is real hard to give God the praise when your husband tripping. You know what tripping is don’t you? drinking, smoking dope, cheating, staying out all night…

- It is real hard to give God thanks when your wife tripping, you know. will not cook, will not clean, will not have relations with you)….

- I mean pastor it is real hard to have joy when you have members hating on you up in the church and wanting to tell you how to run the church…

- It is just hard to give God joy when you are going through

How many know it is hard to give God joy when you got trouble in your way? (Help in here)

You do not have to front for me because I am a living witness I know the Devil will throw you for a loop! (Won’t he throw you for a loop?)

But how many will stand with me today and say I am going to be like David and say, (Psalms 34:2) I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

- How many will stand and say I refuse to let the devil take my Joy away

- How many will stand and say I refuse to be broke, busted and disgusted

- How many will stand and say I refuse to wallow in a pity party

- How many will say like Nehemiah says, (Nehemiah 8:10) The joy of the Lord is my

strength

Just for a minute, just think of all of the places you could have been. Think of all of the places God has spared you from. I just think of what God has already brought me from.

- Could have been with Will Acklin or Ruffin & Jarrett Funeral Home.

- Could have been in Tucker Max or down at the county jail

- Could have been over at New Baptist or St. Vincent Hospital

- Could have been still on the corner smoking dope

- Could have been dead over in Iraq

- Could have lost my mind, but God blocked it!

When I think about the goodness of Jesus and all that’s he done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah!

When I think about the goodness of Jesus, I can dance, dance, dance, all night! Anybody got a dance in their spirit? You ought to give God some praise in this place!

Got 5 little reason Why we should rejoice in the Lord and we will be done.

1) Psalms 118:1 It says Give Thanks.

- That is some of our main problems right there, we do not want to give!

- When the preacher asked you to give you got your nose turned up, talking about your job is to preach, and mine is to listen, why we got to give too?

- But the very 1st thing David said was to GIVE thanks! Before we can expect to receive the joy of the Lord we have to be willing to Give!