JOYFUL HEART
BREAD
3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Psalms 68:3 (NIV)
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1 (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. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NIV)
11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalms 16:11 (NIV)
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. 8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Psalms 28:7-8 (NIV)
13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13 (NIV)
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15 (NIV)
3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:3-4 (NIV)
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 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 3:17-19 (NIV)
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV)
BUTTER
“Fewer doctrines of the Christian faith are more comforting than the sovereignty of God. It humbles you in good seasons, provides hope in hard seasons, and gives joy in all seasons. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is a constant nourishment for the soul. The sovereignty of God is a sweet pillow that you can lay your head on at night. It is a beautiful truth not only that God is in control over all, but is also working everything out- the good and the bad–for your good and for His glory. This sweet doctrine is medicine for the soul that you can take in any season of life.” David Qaoud
“Grace softens the edges of past pains, helping to highlight the eternal. What you are left with is peace that’s profound, joy that’s unshakable, faith that’s ironclad.” Joni Eareckson Tada
“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
“Strengthen me Lord according to Your glorious might. Give me great endurance and patience and joy so that I may walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. May I please You in all that I say and do. You alone are faithful to keep me from falling and to equip me for this so great an endeavor. May I, through Your great power, leave the aroma of sweet Jesus in my every encounter that I may change my sphere by bringing Your Presence to every circumstance You present me with today. Always for your glory alone and my good.” BHY
“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 surest mark of a Christian is not faith, or even love, but joy.” Samuel Shoemaker
“Happiness depends on what happens; joy does not.” Oswald Chambers
“What impression do you want to leave with others if the only thing they have to go on is your countenance, attitude or expression? Sadly, for some of us the message would be ‘unhappy home,’ ‘mad at the world,’ or ‘depressed and downtrodden.’ As believers in Christ, we must not live there. Rather, our lives should reflect whose we are. The Scriptures teach us in Psalm 68:3, ‘…may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.’ If you’re a child of the King, then take on an attitude of royalty. Reveal God’s presence in your life. Hold your head high, greet others with genuine hospitality and be careful to show loving-kindness to all people. By doing these things, you will become a bold witness for Christ without ever having to open your mouth.” Renee Nail
“This God is no stranger to the hard road. This God walked the hardest road for us. And whatever road we’re walking one now—then somehow, someway—that road is good. There’s not just breadcrumbs of good for you on it; the road itself is good… In this hard, He is doing something holy. He is doing something transformative. Even as our hearts rage. Even as they break….This upside down road, where His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), where troubles are an opportunity for great joy (James 1:2) because troubles usher us into His presence, and in His presence, there is fullness of joy. (Psalms 16:11). This is Who. A God who does not forsake. A God who is not cruel. A God who is not stingy with grace. Not a sparrow falls outside of His care. When we find ourselves walking through a dry and weary land where there is no water, shaking our fists at why…Fix the eyes on this God. Remember and rest in Who. Maybe comfort isn’t found so much when we ask ‘Why is this all unfolding here and now?’ — Maybe comfort is found more when we rest in Who is enfolding us all here and now.” Katie Ganshert
“Ecstasy and delight are essential to the believer’s soul and they promote sanctification. We were not meant to live without spiritual exhilaration, and the Christian who goes for a long time without the experience of heart-warming will soon find himself tempted to have his emotions satisfied from earthly things and not, as he ought, from the Spirit of God. The soul is so constituted that it craves fulfillment from things outside itself and will embrace earthly joys for satisfaction when it cannot reach spiritual ones… The believer is in spiritual danger if he allows himself to go for any length of time without tasting the love of Christ and savoring the felt comforts of a Savior’s presence. When Christ ceases to fill the heart with satisfaction, our souls will go in silent search of other lovers… By the enjoyment of the love of Christ in the heart of a believer, we mean an experience of the “love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us” (Rom. 5:5)… because the Lord has made himself accessible to us in the means of grace, it is our duty and privilege to seek this experience from Him in these means till we are made the joyful partakers of it.” John Flavel (1630-1691)
HEART SAVOR
• Joy lies in knowing our lives rest in the hands of a sovereign, omnipotent, good God who loves us.
• Christians should be the most joyful people on earth.
• The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Beth Yoe's Sharing Bread 