I Will Praise Him With JOY!

How do you praise God? From what emotions does your praise come? David tells us in Psalms 63:5, "I will praise Him with joyful lips." Joy is not the same thing as happiness. Happiness means that I need something to "happen" to make me happy. Not everything in life is going to happen the way I want it too. There are going to be situations to come up in my life that will not allow me to be happy. However, I can still have joy! Joy is not based on what happens, but what I know. Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD god of hosts." Jeremiah says that as he came to know God's words it brought Joy to his heart and life. I Peter 1:8 says, "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 honor 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." You see, your joy is not based on what happens in your life, but Who and what you know. Jeremiah says that his joy came from knowing God's word and Peter says that it came through knowing Christ. Depression, anxiety, and fears all come to us based upon what has happened in our lives or what we anticipate to happen. These will keep us joyless and afraid. I encourage you today to look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Cast your cares upon Him and learn of Him that He might give you rest. You see, "In His presence there is a FULLNESS of joy!" When was the last time you pressed your way into His presence? I pray for you today that your mourning and sorrow be turned to joy. God bless