July 2009 Nuggets of Faith

By Tony Barnes

 

      I was very happy when I made Senior Master Sergeant. I was elated when the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowls when I was stationed in Germany. And, I was in ecstasy when my two boys were born into this world. But, those emotional feelings are very transitory in nature. However, there is a joy found in Jesus Christ that is an incredible emotion that transcends time, events and the traumatic events in life.

      Recently, I ran across the verse in Psalms 16 that says, "In thy presence [of the Lord] is fullness of joy." Since that day, I continually ask myself, "Do I have joy?" Certainly there are times in my life, when I have been happy, elated or in ecstasy. But, the biblical concept of joy is not an emotion.   It is a state of being based upon the quality of your relationship with Jesus Christ.

      How can I experience joy? How often do I go through an entire day experiencing His joy? As I have grappled with this concept, a couple of weeks ago I had a 3 day period where I truly experienced the joy of the Lord.   During those 3 days, I focused on confessing Scripture nearly continuously.

     As I drove to work, prayed using Scriptures. For instance, I prayed that 'the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart would be acceptable in His sight'.    For those in my family, I thanked God that His desire is 'for all men to be saved.' I continued by thanking the Lord that 'I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but, Christ liveth in me…' All of these statements of faith are found in the Bible.

      Through those 3 days, my outlook on life was different. When I encountered cynical people discussing the woes of our economy, I found myself acknowledging to God that 'he is my provider and I don't look to Washington or my retirement check for my future'.

        Spending time in God's presence will lead you into an incredible joy. Confessing the scriptures is a way to fight depression. It is a way of drawing closer to God and understanding His will for your life. Scripture memory and confession is our key to finding joy in our life. 

      My challenge to you is to start memorizing Psalms 112 and thanking God for each promise contained in those 10 verses. Read throught it, pray through it and confess through it for 30 days. Your life and your outlook on life will never be the same again. 

 

 

Tony “T-Bar” Barnes is the founder and president of The Master’s Torch Ministries. He can be reached at tbarnugget@yahoo.com and is available for speaking engagements.

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