DON’T WORRY, REJOICE!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
HEAR ME? DID PAUL FORGET WHAT HE HAD SAID? OR MAYBE THERE IS POWER IN REPETITION?
The action of repeating something that has already been said or written.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4 (MSG) Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!
Philippians 4:4 (NLT2) Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
LET US LOOK FOR A HIDDEN LESSON: JOY, REJOICE AND JOYFUL IS FOUND 430 TIMES IN THE BIBLE. 93 times in the Old Testament. JOY IS LASTING WITH A DEEP ROOTED AND SATISFIED HEART. HAPPY OR HAPPINESS IS FOUND 10 TIMES IN THE BIBLE.
SUDDENLY THERE COMES A CHANGE: DON’T BE AFRAID: I AM HERE TO ANNOUNCE GREAT JOY IS AVAILABLE… FOR EVERYONE…
Luke 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:9 (NLT2) Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
JOY--- REAL JOY --- EMMANUEL --- GOD WITH US!
I OFTEN HEAR: I WANT TO BE HAPPY!
I just want to be happy… I WANT MY MARRIAGE TO MAKE ME HAPPY? If I just had _____________, I would be happy? People chase happiness like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? We can have an attitude: I FEEL LIKE I AM TRAPPED. Did you know no one can make you happy? This co-dependent attitude will always end in tears…
GUARD YOURSELF MY FRIEND! DO THINGS MAKE YOU HAPPY? WHERE ARE WE IN THE HAPPINESS SCALE?
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12:15 (MSG) Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
THE WORLD’S HAPPINESS REPORT? The report searched 153 countries to find which country was the happiest. The United States of American has the highest economical standard of the whole world. The USA per capita is the richest nation on earth. I found a HAPPINESS SCALE that ranked the world’s HAPPIEST NATIONS… #1. Finland, 5 years in a row. #2. Denmark. #3 Iceland. … Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Luxembourg, THEN ISRAEL COMES IN AT #9, New Zealand at 10.
CANADA IS 15 AND THE USA IS RANKED AT 17… Worry and stress? --- SATISFACTION OF LIFE HAS FALLEN--- TRUST AND PESSIMISTIC ATTITUDES HAVE GROWN IN THE USA. The last place finisher at #146 is AFGHANISTAN. Since 2005 the USA has dropped each year in the HAPPINESS SCALE.
WE HAVE A HOPE OUT OF THIS WORLD! WE CAN HAVE PEACE, JOY AND HOPE.
Psalm 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
Psalm 30:11 (MSG) You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers.
JOY IS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT THAT SHOULD GROW… WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND JOY?
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22 (MSG) But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, 23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.
What is happiness? What is joy? Are they the same thing? Happiness is an eight letter word. Joy is a three letter word. Happiness brings good feelings… it is very fickle, CHANGES QUICKLY. Joy weathers the hurts and pains life dishes out.
Happiness is about things, joy is about issues of the heart. Happiness is a reaction, JOY is an action. Can we understand the difference in “DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY?” Vs. “DON’T WORRY, REJOICE?”
Happiness is about good feelings. Happiness works when the circumstances are good. JOY CAN ENDURE HARDSHIPS, SICKNESS, TRIALS AND TROUBLES AND FIND DEEP MEANING AND GREAT PURPOSE ON THE JOURNEY OF LIFE.
HAPPINESS? JOY CAN BE ABOUT CHOICES? Happiness is externals… JOY is about internal purposes. Joy is much more than can be easily defined. IS TRUE JOY POSSIBLE? JOY could be unlimited. JOY can absolutely transform life. Joy!
WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO OPERATE ON A FULL TANK OF JOY…
1 John 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
HOW EASY IS IT TO LOSE OUR JOY OF LIFE? GOD KNOWS WE CAN LOSE OUR JOY! GOD MAKES PROVISIONS WHEN HURT, PAIN AND FACING OBSTACLES… PROVISIONS TO RESTORE…
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Psalm 51:12 (NLT2) Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
CONCLUSION: There is a story about this little boy. This little boy was sent by his mother to town to buy a new pot in which to cook. The boy was so full of joy he sang and whistled on his way. The mountainous area had many tigers. The boy was not far from the house when a tiger came out and said I will kill and eat you. The boy was full of joy and he refused to be afraid. He said Mr. Tiger if you will spare me I will give you my pretty shirt. The tiger agreed and the boy put the shirt on the tiger. He escaped. As he traveled along the road he was still singing and another tiger said I will kill and eat you. The boy calmly said: I will give you my pants if you will spare me. The tiger agreed and the boy put the pants on the tiger and slipped away. Sure enough another tiger came out of the woods to kill and eat the boy. The boy was humming a song and had joy so he made an offer, spare me and I will give you my shoes. The tiger growled and said I have 4 feet, what good would two shoes do me? The boy joyfully said, you could wear them on your ears and protect your head. So the boy placed the shoes on the tiger’s ears. The boy again had his life spared. He went on to town and purchased the pot for his mom. On the way home the three tigers came out. The boy hid behind a tree. The tigers had a big argument. I look better in my pants? The one said no, I look better in the shirt? The third tiger said, look at the shoes on my ears. I am the best. The boy calmly stood against the tree. The tigers took off their new clothes to fight. They grabbed each other’s tails and started running around and around the tree. They ran so long that they refused to let go. After a long time the tigers ran so hard they all turned into butter. The boy put his shirt, pants and shoes back on… he was so filled with joy that he took the new pot and put the butter in the pot. He walked home with all the butter. His mom said son what do you want for supper? The boy said mom let’s have pancakes and butter. That night the boy went to bed with great joy and thanked God for the day and the 25 pancakes he ate with butter.
So what’s the lesson? When you face big obstacles stay calm and be at peace. Use what you have joyfully. Joy is facing adversity with patience and you can overcome all the problems as long as you operate in JOY. They had a new pot and a full belly. He was a winner by not allowing fear to eat him up! HE KEEP THE JOY IN THE FACE OF DANGER!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Check out YouTube: Wade Hughes)
