Turning Joy to Praise

Turning Joy to Praise

Joy - Week Three - Wednesday

‘He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.’

Luke 24:44-53

Again Jesus was reminding them of all the things they had heard from Him. It says that He opened their minds so that they could receive and understand the Scripture. He reminded them they were witnesses of these prophecies being fulfilled. Then He took them outside of the city and He raised His hands up and blessed them. While He was still blessing them He ascended up to heaven with His hands still raised. Think about that picture for a moment. To say a blessing over someone was something special. They are looking at the risen Christ. They probably have barely left His side since they found He had arisen. I imagine they are basking in this special blessing that is for them. Then He is taken up from them. They could have experienced grief all over again. Instead, they are filled with great joy and they worshipped and praised Him. There is no grief here. Talk about your praise and worship service! Their joy led them to worship and to praise Him….continually….at the Temple. They didn’t worry about the leg of lamb in the crock pot or the afternoon game. They couldn’t stop praising God and worshiping.

There have been times like that in my life. Times when my joy was so full that I could not stop praising my God and times when services went exceedingly long but no one noticed because the joy in God’s house had led to so much praise and worship no one was ready to stop. But in my daily life I tend to worry about what I left simmering at home and the daily things I had planned. I often am filled with joy but forget to take time to praise the Joygiver. I, for one, am going to pay attention more. I am going to turn my joy into praise to the One who makes my heart joyful. I am going to worship both privately and corporately in a way that demonstrates that He has given me great joy. How about you?

Family Activity

We all have moments of great joy…moments when we especially feel the presence of God in our lives. For me these include my salvation, a moment I spent alone with God in General Butler State Park in Kentucky when I was about 17, the day I joined my life with my husband’s, the birth of my child, her salvation, the beginning of Stone Soup at Faith and so many more. These were times my heart was so full I could barely put words to it but my heart was in constant praise to my God. Consider, having a special tree to put ornaments that are a reminder of these significant times in your life where you felt God’s hand moving and you were filled with great joy. It might have been a mission trip or someone for whom you had prayed for many years coming to know Christ. Think of a token of that moment….something to represent it and make an ornament to go on this special tree. Every year your family may add to the tree and it will come to be a special representation of God’s hand in your life and what moments filled you with joy unspeakable.