GUEST BLOGGER FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL: JOY

Greetings Saints of the most High,

My name is Bryan Haskins and I bring greeting from The Church of Antioch in Nashville, TN. I would first like to first say thank you to the Blogging4Jesus2013 Team for allowing me to be a guest on the daily blog. I believe that this is an opportunity for us to display our love for Christ and not being ashamed of being Christians. The topic of this blog is “Joy”. 

When I first looked at this topic I began to think of how I would share this. We all know that in the Nehemiah 8:10, it talks about the …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” In my own personal experience, I found Joy in many different ways. Being in the military, there are many task and objectives that have to be done. One in particular is the yearly fitness test. It seems that after all the training that I do to prepare myself for the test; I still get that nervous feeling. I find myself during the run to give up or think that I don’t have the strength to finish. Doubt starts to set in and I begin to lose focus the real strength that keeps me going, the strength that keeps me living for God, the strength that Philippians 4:13 tells me, “I can do all things”. That strength can only be given by Joy of the Lord. 

You see, that Joy doesn’t just talk about the strength we need when it comes to taking a physical fitness test or any physical need, this kind of Joy is needed when our flesh gets weak and our Faith is under pressure. Let’s take a look at James 1:2, “My bretheren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” In another translation is says, 2-3 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  When we take on these kinds of temptations and pressures that puts our faith, our walk with Christ on the line, it is that same strength that keeps us reminded that we are children of God. Verse 12 tells us that “Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.”

 I’m not the one to say that my walk with Christ has always been good, I’ve had my shares of disappointments where I let God down so many time with the decisions that I’ve made. I realize that is Grace and Mercy is what kept me but His Joy is what sustains me. Psalms 30:5 tells me that “…..weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” I don’t know who I may be speaking to, but just know that Gods joy is new every morning. Instead of thinking of how you are going to get things done on your own, think about the joy of the Lord. His Joy is the strength that we need each and every day.

 

APRIL GUEST BLOGGER BRIAN HASKINS!!!