Joy Devotional - Day 7

If you’ve followed along for all 7 days of our Joy Devotional, thank you!

Here is the last day’s devotional where I sum up what we talked about during our Art & Faith Creative Retreat last month in Italy. It was such a beautiful experience, and if you would like to read more about the retreat you can find the blog post before these devotionals that goes in depth about what the Lord did during our time in Italy.

Day 7

We have looked at JOY all week and I hope it has blessed you in some way.  My prayer is that you have enjoyed the “Rest of God” during this week and that you have learned a few things about JOY.  

Here is what we have talked about this week:

~We KNOW that joy is ours, through our relationship with Jesus Christ

~We know where our TRUE source of joy comes from

~That it IS possible to have joy even during difficult times

~Because of our Saviors LOVE for us, He wants us to have joy!

~That we can take JOY in knowing we have a safe refuge and trusted counselor

~Joy is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives 

~ We need to be “plugged in” and make our spiritual life a priority 

~Stabs of joy are from the Holy Spirit, calling us into a deeper relationship with our God

~Joy in and through us can be used to bring others to Christ

Let’s go forward and ABIDE in Christ’s love, like John 15 tells us.  Jesus told His disciples that He wanted His joy to be in them: “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. “  God designed us for joy. His Word is filled with promises of joy from beginning to end.

Yes, we know that joy will not be perfect in this life.  We will still have our ups and downs and share in sorrow and joy.  We realize that sometimes He doesn’t take the pain away, but instead will comfort us through it.  AND, while we know from God’s Word that unstoppable joy is coming…  we can still sample the sweetness or “taste” now!  “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8.  

I think of the Harvest Season and the beautiful Fall we are enjoying here in Italy.   Psalm 4:7-8 says:  “You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.”  Harvest time was an occasion for rejoicing and celebration, the evidence of God’s favor and the assurance of provision for another season.  We can certainly “TASTE & SEE” how good the Lord is this week! He has blessed us with a week together to seek His will and purpose for our lives.  He wants to fill you up with His joy so that you might go out and share His joy to a world that needs Him so desperately!  

I pray that you have drawn closer to your Lord & Savior Jesus Christ this week.  My hope is that you have discovered what GREAT JOY is available to you through the Holy Spirit working in your life.  Carry that home with you and know that He loves you SO very much, and in ALL things…He is enough.

There is JOY abiding in Christ! Have a beautiful rest of your week.

I know this is a busy time of year for everyone as we head into the Holidays and I SO appreciate everyone who takes time out of their day to come on here and follow along with what we are doing.

We have quite a few things going on these next two weeks that we are so excited about:

1. We have meetings for the house all this week and on Friday we go before the design committee of our HOA to get approval of our plans, so we are praying for all of that to go smoothly and the building to begin.

2. We will be announcing details about our Art & Faith Creative Retreat in 2019 VERY SOON, so come back next week to see who will be teaching with me and a BIG Giveaway will be revealed as well!

3. My mom is moving here next week! She has sold her house in California and we found her a townhome here in Colorodo so it will be a big step for her and we are excited to have her close to us again.

4. Lastly, we are getting a new website! A Kiss on the Chic has been a great name over the years but we feel lead to go forward with Art & Faith Creative as the Lord has become the center of our business/ministry and that name better reflects what we do now. So that will ALSO be revealed NEXT WEEK and we can’t WAIT to show you!

   
   Have a GREAT day!

   Hugs,

   Laura