Are We Having Fun Yet?

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I do this in two parts.

Your life can become so mundane that it seems like an endless trap. If you have lost the joy in your family and home, hard times lie ahead.

We must search God’s word and see the value of joy and seek God’s plan to life daily within the joy of the Lord.

Sometimes to get there we had to come through here.

If you don’t have joy here, you probably will not have joy there.

Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

I. ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? WHY? OR WHY NOT?

SOMETIMES SEEKING JOY IS LIKEN UNTO CATCHING BUTTERFLIES?

A. Have you ever tried to catch a butterfly?

You run, you chase and then you grab, and doggone if the butterfly eludes you again and again?

How about the gold at the end of the rainbow chase?

B. I guess everyone is seeking JOY IN SOME FORM?

We grab for some easy thing, and find there is no joy in that?

C. This has been a powerful week for this old preacher.

I have been so sick, I have had broken ribs and the pain has been beyond the ability of pain pills the doctor gave me.

I have spent two weeks with almost no sleep. Some nights I tried to sleep standing up, with my forehead resting against the wall?

Sunday, instantly, the Lord removed all the pain.

D. I have three grandsons. Matthew is 10, Brandon is 7, and David is 2.

Wednesday and Thursday I received such a blessing being with my two oldest grandsons. They helped me cook Wednesday and the family was over and we ate

together. Then we went to church. I spoke on FRUSTRATION.

Two grandsons spent the night with us.

How beautiful were the sounds of laughter and giggling coming out of the bedroom.

I looked in several times during the night to see Linda and the boys sleeping.

It was beautiful and so peaceful.

Of course I prayed over them.

E. Thursday we got up early, Linda fixed breakfast.

We loaded two guitars, the mandolin, our amps, picked up a teenager, and we traveled to Glasgow and played at the rest home and made a hospital visit.

My #2 Grandson, Brandon is very tender hearted, Matthew fell asleep in the back, and Brandon said, "PAW, WE ARE HAVING FUN AREN’T WE?"

I said, "YES, GRANDSON THIS IS SO MUCH FUN, AND JESUS LOVES IT."

Brandon rested his eyes a few minutes, and I was pondering about God, and God’s goodness to my little family.

I looked eastward and said, GOD IT IS A SHAME THAT A LITTLE KID CAN REALIZE WE ARE HAVING FUN, AND THIS OLD GRAY HEADED MAN DID NOT EVEN REALIZE HOW MUCH FUN WE WERE HAVING?

F. Last night, we were with our third grandson, I took him a couple of bananas.

As we stood there, he peeled his banana and started eating it. His eyes were glowing as only a child’s eyes can.

I hugged him and I said, "BOY, THIS IS REALLY FUN."

Grandson #3 found great joy in a simple banana?

G. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS OLD MAN?

Where has my sense of JOY and FUN IN LIVING GONE?

II. DOES YOUR ENEMY KNOW THE POWER OF JOY?

IF IT IS TRUE THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH,

THE LOSING OF JOY BRINGS GREAT WEAKNESSES!

A. AM I SHARING MY JOY?

B. Maltbie Babcock said:

The Christian life that is joyless is a discredit to God, and a disgrace to itself.

KJV

Neh. 8:9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people,

This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy

unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

NIV

Neh. 8:10 Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

LIVING

Neh. 8:10 it is a time to celebrate with a hearty meal and to send presents to those in need, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. You must not be dejected and sad!"