JOYFUL
JOYFUL WE ADORE THEE
BREAD
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.” Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)
10 Let
the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him! Psalms 64:10 (NIV)
3 But
may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
Psalms 68:3 (NIV)
12 Rejoice
in the Lord, you who are
righteous, and praise his holy name.
Psalms 97:12 (NIV)
1 Shout for joy to the Lord,
all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord
is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of
his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and
his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord
is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all
generations. Psalms
100:1-5 (NIV)
18 yet I
will rejoice in the Lord, I will
be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord
is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go
on the heights. Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NIV)
4 Rejoice
in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident
to all. The Lord is near. Philippians
4:4-5 (NIV)
16 Be
joyful always; 17 pray
continually; 18 give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
BUTTER
“I realize that I am not used to the image
of God throwing a party. It seems to contradict the solemnity and seriousness I
have always attached to God. But when I think about the ways in which Jesus
describes God’s Kingdom, a joyful banquet is often at its center…This
invitation to a meal is an invitation to intimacy with God…Celebration belongs
to God’s Kingdom. God not only offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing,
but wants to lift up these gifts as a source of joy for all who witness them.” Henri
Nouwen
“God delights in His covenant and so we
are sure He will not turn back from it. It is the joy of His holy heart. He
delights to do His people good. To pass over transgression, iniquity, and sin
is the recreation of Jehovah. Did you ever hear God singing? It is
extraordinary that the Divine One would solace Himself with song, yet a prophet
has thus revealed the Lord to us: ‘The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will
save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy
over thee with singing.’ (Zephaniah 3:17). The covenant is the heart of God
written out in the blood of Jesus.” Charles Spurgeon
“Circumstances do
not have the power to steal your joy.
Joy is the by-product of experiencing God’s sovereign grace even in the
midst of seemingly impossible circumstances.”
Anonymous
“Joy is the most
infallible sign of the presence of God.” Leon Bloy
“Solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion’s children
know.”
John Newton
“The weapon of
repentance, through rejection of false beliefs and affirmation of godly truth,
has changed thousands of lives.
Repentance can liberate the mind and destroy speculations and every
lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:5) and it can
help us discover the wondrous significance we have in Jesus Christ: We are
deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally acceptable, and
complete in Him. Our journey is a joyous
and challenging adventure with Christ.” Robert McGee
“What were we made
for? To know God. What aim should we set
ourselves in life? To know God. What is
the eternal life that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. What is the best thing in life, bringing more
joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God. What, of all the states God ever sees man in,
gives Him most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.” J.I.
Packer
“Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory,
Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the
dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day! All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth
and heav’n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of
unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing
sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee. Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing,
ever blest, Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who
live in love are Thine; Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy
divine. Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began; Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love
binds man to man. Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of
strife, Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life.” Henry J. Van Dyke
HEART SAVOR
· The joy of the Lord is my strength.
· I am to rejoice in the Lord always.
· God is my source of joy.
