A Word of Encouragement

As I drove out of my neighborhood this morning, many of my neighbors had set out furniture, carpet, and other items which had been ruined by the flooding of this past weekend.

As I turned on my computer this morning and check today's headlines I discover the stock market is in the midst of taking another plunge for the second day in a row.

I then opened up my email and I read a message from a brother in Christ from Houma, LA who shared with me his despair over the utter devastation down in the Bayou of Louisiana caused by Gustav and Ike.

Enough, Enough! It would be good to hear just a little good news. It seems like one thing after another. It all just keeps piling up.

Life is not always filled with good news. Home foreclosures, rising gas prices, unemployment, natural disasters, flooded basements, the broken car, family squabbles, cancer, the death of a loved one . . . life has a way of dumping on us.

We could all use a little joy. There doesn't seem much to be happy about these days. Life is more like survive than thrive.

But I am here to tell you that God wants to give you joy. It is a fruit of the Spirit. In other words, joy is something that is naturally part of a believer's life. When you have Jesus, you can have joy no matter what the circumstance. Even from a prison cell, the Apostle Paul was able to write, "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) His joy was not based upon the circumstance of his life, but the reality of Jesus in his life and the difference that reality made.

Over the next four weeks at Lord of Life we will be talking about joy. In light of recent events, I don't think this message series could have come at a better time. We need to be reminded that we have a greater joy that is not dependent upon the circumstances of life, but a joy in Jesus that is deep, fulfilling, and lasting. If you have friends, neighbors, family members who could use a little bit of joy - invite them to join you this Sunday at Lord of Life as we celebrate the joy of Jesus.

Readings for next week:

21	Isaiah 37:1-38:22 Galatians 6:1-18 Psalm 64:1-10 Proverbs 23:24		22	Isaiah 39:1-41:16 Ephesians 1:1-23 Psalm 66:1-20 Proverbs 23:25-28
23	Isaiah 41:17-43 Ephesians 2:1-22 Psalm 67;1-7 Proverbs 23:29-35		24	Isaiah 43:14-45:10 Ephesians 3:1-21 Psalm 68:1-18 Proverbs 24:1-2
25	Isaiah 45;11-48:11 Ephesians 4:1-16 Psalm 68:19-35 Proverbs 24:3-4		26	Isaiah 48:12-50:11 Ephesians 4:17-32 Psalm 69:1-18 Proverbs 24:5-6
27	Isaiah 51:1-53:12 Ephesians 5:1-33 Psalm 69:19-36 Proverbs 24:7