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Written by Fabiola de Gómez, Iron Rose Sister Volunteer in Colombia.
My dog, Joy, is always with me. She came into our home six years ago and as her name says, she has brought us a lot of joy! She always wants to be by my side. So much so, that I bump into her several times a day and even more if I feel sad, sick, or down.
Joy reminds me of the joy that is always in us – the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. But this inner joy is sometimes disturbed or silenced by the voice of my worries, anxieties, sadness, or anger. It is in those moments that I ask myself, where is my joy? It is easier for me to feel I have joy when things are “calm and under control”. But what happens when they are not? Those moments are the ones that most test where my confidence truly lies.
In this last year, due to the global pandemic, I could say that for many of us things were out of our control. Perhaps this caused our moods to be affected and at certain moments, our joy to be silenced by the pressures and difficulties of external circumstances.
This causes me to look at Jesus and wonder, how did he do it? Even in the midst of the most difficult moments of His life, His joy was still intact. Despite the anguish, sadness, and pain He experienced, He did not refuse to bear the burden of the cross. We see Him tell Peter in Matthew 16:23 (NIV) “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Jesus maintained His joy because His gaze was fixed on the reward. As Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) says, “…for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus shows me where my gaze should be so that joy will be a constant in my life. Doing this is what allows us as Christians to live out the Scripture that says: “rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16, NIV) and “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3,NIV)
By looking at the example of Jesus, we can understand that when we value trials for what they add to our faith and not for what they take from us, we can fully experience the utmost joy in their midst. So now I can say: Joy is always with me.
Sisters, let us walk with our eyes fixed on Jesus so that our hearts are not discouraged. When moments of difficulty come and you feel your joy is silenced or disturbed, ask yourself, where is my gaze fixed?
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Written by Erica Peck Dexter, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Searcy, AR
Have you ever given much thought to what your priorities are? Really though. Not just a passing thought of I value God, my family, and friends and then move on to the next thing. What is a priority for you?
Many years ago, I was feeling torn in many directions between work, spending time with my family, and university classes as a non-traditional student. I remember specifically asking God to help me put my priorities in order. Guess what happened? He did. About a month later, I was on my knees, and, without realizing it, I had just said, “Thank you, Lord, for helping me put my priorities in order.” My exact words. I paused and realized, “Whoa, He’s given me exactly what I’ve been asking about!” I smiled and thanked Him again. As I reflected, I could see that in every area of my life He had made things clearer, easier to sort through and prioritize what was most important.
Do you know where we can look to see good priorities in action? Who remembers Abigail from 1 Samuel 25? At this time, David and his servants were living on Nabal’s land, helping to care for the sheep and cattle, had treated Nabal’s servants well, not stolen anything, and had been, in general, really nice guys. They now go to Nabal at a festive time to ask for his blessing and see if he can “give them whatever he can find for them” (vs. 8). Abigail’s husband, Nabal, whose name means “fool, failure” receives David’s servants with a hostile, ugly attitude and sends them away with nothing. When David’s servants returned to tell David how they have been treated, he is, of course, furious. So much so that he says, “I will not leave one male alive belonging to Nabal by morning” (vs.22).
Here is where priorities come in: A servant runs to tell Abigail the news that David is furious, and ask what are we going to do?! Verse 18 says, “Abigail lost no time.” She literally gets cooking, preparing mounds of food and gifts for David and his servants in hopes of quelling his anger and the eminent battle that will take place if nothing is done. In the end, David accepts her gifts, and says to her, “May you be blessed for your good judgement and for keeping me from bloodshed this day” (vs. 33). Wow! She lost no time in acting on that decision, making it a priority. And she was blessed for it.
What priorities are you choosing? I encourage you to be like Abigail and lose no time in doing what the LORD has called you to do. Start today. Take courage and take His hand. You will be blessed.