JOY

"Always protect your joy.. The joy of the Lord is your strength"

This came up on the internet the other day via The Basement.

I really never thought about "Protecting" my Joy but it's so true...

YOU HAVE TO!!

There are people out there that are not filled with the Love of God

or that are not walking in His spirit that will try their best at ANY 

rate, to steal your JOY...

They may not even have ANY reason in particular other

than they see your happiness and JOY that JESUS gave you

and they are so filled with other things besides that,

that they want to see you sad and filled with nonsense too instead.

When you don't protect your joy and you let someone steal it,

then you become weak.  Weak in the enemies LIES & SCHEMES.

Weak to letting the enemy come all up into your life and filling

it with all things that make your life miserable and cause

you NOT to be a witness to the Lord.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, 

against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and 

against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Ephesians 6:12 

Remember, it's not the person that is trying to steal your joy,

it's the work at the enemy in them.  PRAY for that person and just

keep showing the LOVE and kindness of CHRIST.  

PROTECT that JOY like you would your most

valued possessions from a thief.  Because actually,

that is what the enemy is, a thief...

The picture above is from a Small Group that some of us

led out in Moody, AL for a couple of years back in like 2007-2009.

We talked about how important it was to always have on your armor 

of God because their was a certain fight out there each day...

Notice the shields that we had up against that oh mean 

devil that we knew we had to keep up daily!!

(I love looking back at these girls to think of where they are today.

Several of them are leading Bible studies on their college

campuses or leading the way for Jesus on the mission field.)

So if you have kind of been feeling weak here lately,

think about who you have let steal your Joy and if 

you have prayed and kept on your armor.  I know I have

had to and the Lord has restored my strength and I have

my JOY on Lock Down like never before.  I hope

your's is too because that is what the Lord wants for us ALL!!!

Love y'all!!