Isaiah 51:11 tells us that “the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (NKJV) 

I was raised in a Christian environment. I was saved at a very young age but somewhere along the way life became very sad. I was sad. I wouldn’t say I was depressed, but I certainly didn’t walk in the full joy and gladness that God had for me, that He has for every Christian everywhere. 

I knew God’s will for my life was better than what I was experiencing. God’s Will (found in His Word) (if attended to) will always rise us up to another level. I also knew that I had the joy of the Lord. I didn’t feel joyous but joy is a fruit of the spirit, a spirit that has been connected to God. (See Gal. 5:22,23) I spent time focusing on Scriptures that spoke of joy and the strength that joy supplies. 

You see when we are born again receiving Jesus as Lord we have all the fruit in us but that fruit isn’t put into us in a ripe, fully developed state. We must develop it. Feeding on God’s Word and choosing to act on that Word develops the fruit within us, bringing them and us into maturity. 

If you are struggling with sorrow and if you always find yourself sighing, take heart! Be encouraged! God’s plan for any heartache you might be experiencing is that it flees away! You should know that God has provided all you need to walk into eternity with a song on your lips and a bounce in your step. You do not need to wait until you get to Heaven to experience such incredible joy and gladness! Find yourself some good joy Scriptures and feed on them. Isaiah 51:11 is a good place to start! Put it on your fridge and keep it in front of your eyes. When you get tossed an emotional curve ball have these Words (these God Words) ready and waiting in your heart in order to proclaim them out of your mouth. 

You might not feel joy right now but if you will do as Jesus tells us to do in John Chapter 8 (remain faithful to his teachings) you will experience the results: “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (Jn.  8:32 NLT) So if you are living life with an ache in your heart and you want to walk free from that ache, here is an action plan that will cause the joy unspeakable and full of glory that is in you to rise up and override any oppressive attack from the enemy: keep spending time with God, keep filling up on the Word, and please keep acting on those Words! (See 1 Pe. 1:8)

This works people. It worked for me and it will work for you!

Jesus is Lord and I (Patricia) am your servant for His sake! 

Jesus in Matthew 5:6 tells us it is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness that are the ones who get to walk in God’s blessings. Scriptures that speak of a person’s appetite for God catch my eye and this one is no exception. The God’s Word translation quickly helps us understand what righteousness is. It lets us know that when one hungers and thirsts after righteousness, one is hungering and thirsting after God’s approval.  And there is nothing you and I need more in life than God’s approval!  

Jesus’ very own righteousness is given us when we make Him Lord. The Bible tells us that He became sin for us that we might become His righteousness. Jesus makes us right with God! (See 2 Cor. 5:21) We truly have something to thank God for! None of us had God’s approval, but we have all been given the opportunity to live an approved life before Him!

There is no better place to walk than in the blessings of God. I am super glad that I get to enjoy such incredible favor! I guess that is why some Bible translations will translate that word “blessed” as “happy.” Those translations let us know our very happiness depends on hungering and thirsting for God’s approval. 

One thing I’ve noticed about people who are physically hungry and thirsty is that they do something about it. While righteousness is given to us through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (and are allegiance to HIm): Matthew 5:6 doesn’t tell us that it is through righteousness that we are blessed! It tells us that it is through a hunger and thirst for righteousness that we are blessed! Just like a physical hunger and thirst will move you to do something: a spiritual hunger and thirst will move you to do something! So what things do we need to do to show we have a genuine appetite for God?

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us we need to: “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” (NLT) There is is again! There is something we must do to receive God’s approval! The King James Version begins this verse with “Study to show yourself approved...” I’ve loved that for a long time!! “Study to show yourself approved...” I was thinking about how this applies to showing a hunger and thirst for God when I decided to see what the original Greek says for the word “study.” It turns out the New Living Translation is more accurate in this case.  The original Greek doesn’t actually say “study.” Certainly the translators put it here because it is one very important way we can show ourselves approved - but it isn’t the only way! 

Colossians 3:23 tells us that whatever it is we do we need to do it with all our hearts as if we were doing it for the Lord Jesus. Work hard is a theme throughout the Bible. Doing good is a theme throughout the Bible. No matter how we received our salvation (and it wasn’t by doing good) there is some good work that each of us needs to do. Ephesians 2 explains it really well: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:1-10 NIV)

You and I can’t get around it. There is a good work that God wants us to do. And that good work, doing it, will show God how much you desire Him. Jesus, in John 4:34, said that doing God’s will for His life was His food. He was nourished by doing God’s will! Doing God’s will for your life will bring you into His blessings! Doing God’s will for your life will bring your faith (your beliefs based on the Word of God) alive. Doing God’s will is important! It will connect you to to all the good things He has for you.

So what things do we need to do to show we have a genuine appetite for God? We need to do what pleases God! And it is only be spending time both in God’s Word and prayer that you will find out what His good, pleasing, and even perfect will for your life is!  (See Rm. 12:1,2)