Daily Thought for Tuesday December 13th

December 13, 2011 

Are You A Joy To Your World

Today’s Thought:

“Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” – Mark Twain

Today’s Quote:

“Keep knocking and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look out and see who’s there.” – Rumi

Today’s Question:

“Isn’t it strange what a contempt men have for the joys that are offered them freely?” – Georges Duhamel

Today’s Bible Verses:                Proverbs 12:20,  Nehemiah 8:10  & 1 Peter 1:6-9

Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellers of peace is joy.

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.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scarp heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,”

- Isaac Watts (lyrics from ‘Joy To The World’)

As Christians we have so much to be joyful about and we need to be diligent and dutiful to share that joy with our world.

“There is little joy in owning anything that is not shared.” – Anonymous

God has given us the greatest gift we could imagine – He has given us life though His Son, Christ Jesus.  To know that we have life, forgiveness and hope in Him: and that no matter where we go or what we face in life – we are not alone: should fill our hearts with constant joy.

Do you need help developing your joy?  Here are twelve ways to celebrate your joy. 

Complete what you start.

Enlarge your interests.

Laugh a lot.

Express gratitude to a friend.

Be kin, thoughtful and caring.

Read the Bible every day.

Accent the positive.

Tell a friend you love him/her.

Extend a helping hand.

Jot down, every morning, five reasons to be happy.

Overlook pettiness and jealousy.

Yield your life to God.

Here’s a little hint: if you start with the last one on this list – all the others will be a whole lot eaisier.

Today’s Prayer:

Father, may the joy that is down in my heart, not say there: but rather may it burst forth from within me and infect and affect those all around me.

“A joy that’s shared is a joy made double.”

- Anonymous