#948 Joyfulness – Spirit of Joyfulness

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“The Bible is the most joyous book in sacred literature.  The New Testament reveals Christianity as the most joyful of world religions.”[1]  There are several Hebrew and Greek words that express the joyfulness of the Bible and Christianity.  These biblical words in turn are translated by several English words such as “joy,” “joyfulness,” “joyous,” “to rejoice,” “to exult,” “to glory,” “to cheer,” etc.  Each of these express the quality of spirit that characterized believers in both the Old and New Testaments, and they should also express the quality of spirit that characterizes each of us as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ.  God does not expect us to go through life without any sorrow or grief; all the same, we are expected as Christians to maintain a spirit of joyfulness, demonstrating to the world the hope we have in Christ.

Is your life characterized by a spirit of joyfulness that demonstrates to the world that you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?

“Rejoice evermore.”   (I Thessalonians 5:16)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Miller, Madeleine S. and J. Lane Miller, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, New York, NY:  Harper & Row Publishers, 1952.

#946 Losing a Loved One – Comfort During the Holidays

First published December 13, 2012

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

With the Christmas holidays quickly approaching, most of us have wonderful visions of Christmas joy while there are a multitude of people not only dreading the holidays but actually suffering deep emotions due to the death of a loved one.  For many this may be the first Christmas without their loved one while others may have a loved one who died during a past holiday that continues to haunt.  Whereas there are those who have a calmness of acceptance, there may also be those harboring deep-seated sadness, anger, and loneliness.  Family, friends, and neighbors need to reach out to the grieving, be especially supportive during this time, share memories of the deceased loved one when and where appropriate, and help the grieving become conscious of God’s love, comfort, and the hope we have in Him.

If you are dealing with a loss this holiday season, reach out to someone who can encourage and comfort you; if not, be there for someone who does need the support.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”   (I Thessalonians 4:13 – ESV)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#945 Losing a Loved One – Comfort in God’s Word

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Made in the image of God and having our own individuality, we each express our emotions differently.  “Experts” say there are different stages in the grief process, but the “experts” cannot agree on the number or identification of the stages.  We who know Christ as Savior will likewise go through different stages of grief upon losing a loved one; however, our ultimate comfort comes from God and His Word, not through our own efforts.  In 2004, a gentleman, his wife being out of town at the time, learned of his brother’s passing.  Being physically alone, he felt God’s comforting presence through the reading of Scripture, spending the rest of the day searching for passages on grief.  Applying God’s promise to each verse and praying those promises, he writes, “I have not grieved hard for my brother but remember the good times we had together.”[1]  Our grieving process may not be as short, but God’s Word can provide needed comfort to all.

As Jesus’ tears for Lazarus were the result of great love, never attempt to hide your emotions when grieving for a loved one!

“Lament and mourn and weep!  Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”   (James 4:9-10)

May God Richly Bless You Today

[1] Personal email received December 8, 2012

#944 Losing a Loved One – Grieving

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There is nothing in Scripture that says we will not or should not grieve at the loss of a loved one.  Both the Old Testament and New Testament contain incidences where someone was overcome with emotions at the death of a loved one.  We even see that “Jesus wept” at the death of Lazarus, tears that forever validate our tears of grief.  As individuals, whether Christian or not, we will all go through a grieving process when we lose a loved one to death.  The big difference between us as Christians and those who do not know Jesus Christ as personal Savior is the hope we have in Him for eternity.  If our loved one was a Christian, we have the assurance that he or she is now praising and glorifying God in Heaven, a comfort that is ours in time of grief.

Knowing death is only a passage for us as Christians, should you not be diligent in not only making sure you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior but also telling other members of your family of His salvation?

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit,, and was troubled, And said, ‘Where have ye laid him?’  They said unto Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’  Jesus wept.  Then said the Jews, ‘Behold how He loved him!’”   (John 11:33-36)

May God Richly Bless You Today

#943 Losing a Loved One – A Painful Experience

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Losing a loved one to death is one of the most painful experiences we will have to endure in our lifetime.  Considered one of the main life-causes of stress as well as depression in our world today, losing a loved one produces an indeterminate time of grief, as well as an array of other emotions.  These emotions not only cause the stress and depression, they likewise can cause physical, emotional, and mental difficulties if not dealt with properly.   During these types of situations, we as Christians can mentally know that God’s presence is with us without full realization thereof.  When we have the full realization that God’s presence and mercy is with us we can rely upon Him to assist us in discovering ways to cope with and finally overcome the possible effects of the loss of our loved one.

If you have experienced the loss of a loved one, and all of us will at some point, did you allow God’s presence and mercy to be a comfort to you?

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.”   (I Corinthians 1:3)

May God Richly Bless You Today