Thankfully, nothing is beyond the loving hand of our Abba Father. He has graciously reminded me that my joy is not rooted
in the things of this world, or how I'm feeling,
but in His precious unfailing promises.
After reading this verse, I tried to remember when I last allowed the Lord to inspire me to really shout with joy... Oh yes, there's a reason He brought this verse to mind. It's been a while.
When was the last time you shouted? Was it while cheering at a ball game, seeing a long-lost friend, getting a great buy? Was it shouting out of frustration at your kids or your husband?
When was the last time you really shouted with joy for the Lord?
I'd like to encourage you to stop and take a minute to meditate upon the goodness, holiness, character, and saving grace of our precious Savior. Have you thought about it?
Now, I'd like to encourage you to humble yourself before Him and be bold enough to stop and shout with joy for who He is and what He's done in your life! Shouting to the Lord does something inside of us... Try it. You'll see what I mean!
Our joy is in Him.
And He is ever-present!
And so...
We will shout with joy!
We will exalt His name!
We will rejoice in the God of our salvation!
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the
flocks die in the
fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I
will be joyful in the God of my salvation!'
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NLT)
How about you?
Have you allowed the hard things
of life to overshadow your joy?
Or, is your heart full-to-overflowing?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Leave a comment!
Living in His grace,
Mary
I'd like to ask you for two quick favors.
1. Please go to the block of Google Friends over in the right column and click Join this Site. This doesn't subscribe you or obligate you to anything. It's just a way to let me know that you visited Woman to Woman. If you're reading this by email, you'll need to click Here to sign in.
Each
woman who stops by(I'm talking about you!) is so precious to our
Lord and to me.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, emails, and FB messages.
It's always so good to hear from you!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, emails, and FB messages.
It's always so good to hear from you!
Hi Mary! Oh, its always easier for me to see the negative, but you are so right that I have every reason to SHOUT for joy! I have my health, a home and wonderful family. Praise be to God, I am a blessed girl.
ReplyDeleteSuch an encouraging post today! So glad I stopped by.
Happy Monday!
Ceil
Ceil, the negative can take up so much mental space, can't it?! Sometimes we just need to stop, re-focus, and give a shout of joy to our Creator! Praise be to God, we are truly blessed girls! :)
DeleteBlessings and Happy Monday to you too! ~ Mary
Yes Mary, I do think we so forget the wonderous God that He is and then we don't express that JOY as we should. And yes, I will and have the past couple of days been singing His praises more than ever!
ReplyDeleteMarlece, I LOVE hearing that you've been singing His praises! God must be smiling at that!!
DeleteBlessings and Joy to you ~ Mary
What a great reminder! Things have been really, really difficult the last few weeks and I need to focus on some good stuff!
ReplyDeleteKate, I'm sorry to hear that things have been difficult lately. I pray that His joy would permeate your days!
DeleteBlessings to you ~ Mary
When I feel my hope depleting, I "shout" for joy for what He WILL do. I counter my negative feelings by thanking the Lord for what He's going to do on my behalf. This year, I've seen my reactions change. When circumstances are lousy, I'm not as affected as I used to be because I've changed my responses. :) Maybe I'm just choosing more joy, like you!
ReplyDeleteXOXO,
Meredith
Meredith, it's wonderful to hear that you're renewing your mind! I just love that you shout for joy for what our Abba Father promises He'll do! What a tremendous thought shift!
DeleteBlessings to you, my friend ~ Mary
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteEven when we feel like our lives are crumbling around us, we can find joy in our eternal relationship with our Creator. Our joy is one of the most powerful weapons we have against the enemy! If we make it a point to delight in every little thing, all the small moments of joy and happiness will add up, and keep us moving down the path to the fruit of the spirit. That is something to shout about!
Blessings and love,
Denise
Denise, you've said this so beautifully! Our joy is certainly a powerful weapon. It evidences an intimate relationship with our Lord, which the enemy abhors.
DeleteThanks so much for coming by!
Blessings and joy ~ Mary
I very much needed this today, encouragement straight to my soul. Bless you, friend!
ReplyDeleteAshley, I'm so glad it hit the spot! God is so good to do that, isn't He?!
DeleteI'm glad you came by!
Blessings to you, sweet sister ~ Mary
It is so important to remember that joy can happen unrelated to our circumstances. But we have to let it...and so often I do not. That verse in Habakkuk is one of my favorites for times when life is not producing the fruit I so desire it to. Yet even in the barrenness we can delight in God and He will never fail. Thanks for the great reminder once again! :)
ReplyDeleteSummer, God's been continually bringing this verse in Habakkuk to mind lately. Yes, whether we're in plenty or in want, our joy is in Him!
DeleteBlessings to you ~ Mary
Dear Mary
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading your post, I immediately thought of the verses in Habakkuk! Yes, it is possible to shout for joy even in these circumstances for when we live closely in our Lord Jesus and He in us, He fills our heart with the glorious fruit of joy continuously. Sometimes, He does it just a bit more intentionally. I think the most important thing we need to do, is just to abide in Him.
Blessings XX
Mia
Dear Mia, yes, abiding in our Lord Jesus is paramount. For when we abide in Him, our joy is deep and rich, ever-present and all-consuming. Glory to His name!
DeleteBlessings and love ~ Mary
Yes Kate! Hallelujah to the One who is holy, full of grace, and love!
ReplyDeleteBlessings and joy, my friend ~ Mary
There is power in the spoken word! Amen to that. Popped on over from rachelwojo.com and couldn't agree more. I think wee have forgotten to rejoice always, through hard times and times of abundance. Thanks for refreshing the verses of Habakkuk.
ReplyDeleteEmma, I know I sometimes relinquish my joy to the hard things. But I'm asking our Abba Father to help me be mindful and rejoice in Him! These verses in Habakkuk speak loudly to me.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Blessings to you ~ Mary
This is great, Mary. Just yesterday my quiet time thought was "rejoice in the hard." So I'm "shouting for joy" over here at the lovely reminder God has sent me through your words, my friend. Yes, it is so hard to rejoice in the "hard," but it's where my faith grows best and deepest. Thanks so much for linking this up at Wedded Wed too. :)
ReplyDeleteBeth,rejoicing in the hard is almost impossible without our Lord. I'm so thankful that He makes His joy available to us! Shouting for joy with you, my friend! And thanks for hosting Wedded Wed!
DeleteBlessings to you ~ Mary
Shouting some serious praise with you! So delighted to meet you. I hope you don't mind if I splash around a bit to get to know you. This looks like a refreshing place to dip into some serious goodness.
ReplyDeleteI would love you to share this post! A group of moms gather each week. I usually post on Mondays, but missed it this week. I start jotting a few notes and then others join in. You can post whenever, doesn't have to be anything new, it can be a gem nestled in your pages. I get the filled to the brim momma schedules.
Just moms. Sharing our notes. Creating a melody.
http://justsarahdawn.blogspot.com/2013/07/syllable-by-syllable.html
Be blessed,
Sarah
Hi Sarah! You're more than welcome to splash around here any time! Thanks for inviting me to the mom gathering. I'll be sure to check it out!
DeleteBlessings and joy to you ~ Mary
I love that you asked us when the last time we shouted was. Most likely, for me, it was a shout to get a child's attention. :) I want to shout for joy first and foremost!
ReplyDeleteHe is so worthy of a good shout!!
DeleteI'm glad you came by!
Blessings to you ~ Mary
I dare not say it, but I think I'm not so happy and jubilant. But I do sing songs in the night. Your blog encourages me to get up and go to God
ReplyDeleteIn summer I blog here, Mary. You are welcome: http://sieraadvooras.blogspot.nl/
Jedidja, I know those soul deep songs sung through the night are beautiful to our Lord. You're in my prayers, sweet sister.
DeleteBlessings and love ~ Mary
I was challenged by the quote by Brene Brown, "Joy is the most vulnerable of emotions." I consider myself vulnerable but I do not consider myself to be a joyful person. I think I have another journey ahead of me...one in search of that deep down joy of the Lord that manifests itself in all areas of my life. Blessings to you! Love, Rachael
ReplyDeleteRachael, that's an interesting quote. I can see where joy makes us vulnerable. I also think, like love, joy requires a decision. There are certainly many days that I don't FEEL joyful, but because of who He is, I choose joy. {And some days, I miss it...}
DeleteIt's always good to hear from you!
Blessings and love ~ Mary
I love that verse.... it's in those hard times that shouting for joy to the Lord means the most. When I was on the way, several years ago, to confirm a miscarrage with my doctor - my husband and I sang "Great is Our God." That moment stands out in my memory because it was in that hard moment that I NEEDED to shout for joy!
ReplyDeleteSusan, I'm so sorry for your miscarriage... But oh, how I rejoice that you and your husband were able to trust and praise our Great God in the midst of such a trying time. Thank you so much for sharing this piece of your story.
DeleteBlessings and love ~ Mary
Hi Mary,
ReplyDelete"You inspire shouts of joy!" --What a nice verse.
Have a great week,
Jennifer Dougan
www.jenniferdougan.com
Jennifer, I love that verse! He most definitely inspires shouts of joy!
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings to you ~ Mary
Hi Mary!
ReplyDeleteI am nominating you for a Liebster, and I hope that you will accept the nomination. You are very deserving of it. To find out the details, go to www.transitiontovictory.blogspot.com
Trinity