Abundant Harvests You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. Psalm 4:7 What makes you smile? Have you ever wondered which ones bring you the most joy and happiness in your life? Believe it or not, happiness and joy are two different things. My definition of both may not completely satisfy everyone reading this but I am sure many of you will agree on what makes them different. Despite these differences, they are the same in the sense that they are both feelings of gladness as a result of a condition being met. On the other hand, they differ as to how each condition is obtained. Happiness is the result of getting what we want. It is a feeling that accompanies the achievement of certain desires, wishes, or goals. Whereas, joy is the result of contentment and satisfaction over what we have especially those which money cannot buy. In effect, money can buy happiness for a person but it can never buy joy for the same person. In Psalm 4, David is in distress and looking for help from the Lord. He is imploring the Lord for relief from his present troubles brought about by men who sought his destruction. A little later, David appears to be encouraging himself with what the Lord does for him. Then somewhere in the middle of the psalm, it seems as if he is encouraging himself to do the right thing. He then concludes with verses 7 and 8 which talk about the result of dwelling on what He had in the Lord. Most of the time, we think about those things that we dont have which in turn takes away the contentment and satisfaction which we Christians are supposed to have. Sometimes, we even look at the abundant blessings which others have. This brings envy and jealousy in our hearts which have no business being there. As we carefully consider much of what will make us joyful instead of merely being happy, let us remember that we have more than enough to bring us joy. Here are a few of what we have in the Lord: We have peace with God, we have been adopted as His children, our sins are forgiven, we are no longer condemned, we have an inheritance from God, we have the Holy Spirit, and we have been saved by grace. And I havent even mentioned that we also have people who love and care for us aside from the provisions that the Lord has given us. Reflect on the things that you have both spiritually, relationally, and materially so that contentment and satisfaction will overflow into your heart. It will be easier for you to be grateful to the Lord and experience His joy when you know that you have been blessed with more than enough things to enjoy. The next time you pray, thank the Lord for the ones that you have been blessed with instead of merely asking for those that you dont have. Find your satisfaction and contentment in the things money cant buy but are already within your grasp.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 12:59:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015