Sharon Sharing God: "FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY

Friday, May 3, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Rejoice

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!

Today's word: rejoice

How would you define the word rejoice? Is it different than being happy?

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?

How can we rejoice in the middle of suffering, trials, and pain? (And why do you think it matters?)

Let me know what you think!!

"But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me." (Psalm 13:5)

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name." (Psalm 33:21)

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

8 comments:

DeniseMay 3, 2013 at 4:36 AM
Drink from the Jesus well, the joy will overflow.
ReplyDelete
Replies
ReneeMay 3, 2013 at 7:44 AM
I have been reading Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, and pondering what she shares about being grateful for all moments and how giving thanks results in letting go of fear and moving into a place of trust.

Rejoicing takes the focus of of me and unto Jesus!
ReplyDelete
Replies
JanetMay 3, 2013 at 2:43 PM
Rejoicing to me means to praise Jesus, no matter how bad things are, because I have a home in heaven!! Love you!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Chatty CroneMay 3, 2013 at 4:32 PM
You know that is what I believe - in spite of everything - God wants us to believe through things and rejoice for what is coming! sandie
ReplyDelete
Replies
UnknownMay 4, 2013 at 8:10 AM
Hi Sharon,

We have been discussing this at church this week. I was about to type a comment and I read the one from Janet above, guess that says it all for me.
ReplyDelete
Replies
PamelaMay 4, 2013 at 9:19 AM
I find it easy to praise in hard times because how could I ever face the difficult without Jesus my Savior. Without the companionship of the Holy Spirit. Without the knowledge of the a Heavenly Father who loves me.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Nikki (Sarah)May 4, 2013 at 6:58 PM
rejoice....hmmm. I think it comes with trusting. If I trust Him in the bad and of course the not so bad....I'll rejoice b/c I trust. Does that make sense? Take gentle care.....
ReplyDelete
Replies
SharonMay 18, 2013 at 9:52 PM
How would you define the word rejoice? Is it different than being happy?

Happy is all about our feelings. Rejoice is a feeling that supersedes circumstances. Actually, it is more than feeling - it is a choice. And it is long-lasting.

What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord?

It means to have a heavenly perspective. We can rejoice because we are saved, and because of that we know that: 1) All things work together for good, 2) Our troubles are only temporary, and 3) We have a wonderful eternity ahead of us in the Presence of our Loving God!

How can we rejoice in the middle of suffering, trials, and pain? (And why do you think it matters?)

As I said before, if we focus on God, we will find the strength to rise above our circumstances. We can rejoice that we never face anything alone. I think it matters because it's what we are called to do as ambassadors of Jesus, and I think it strikes a major blow to the nefarious purposes of the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy.

GOD BLESS!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

MY WORD FOR 2016

GRATEFUL

Grateful: feeling or showing thanks to someone for some helpful act; appreciative of benefits received; warmly or deeply thankful; indebted; beholden.

Word origin: 1550's, "pleasing to the mind," also "full of gratitude," from obsolete adj. grate "agreeable, thankful," from Latin gratus "pleasing" – derived from the same word origin as the word "grace."

The trick to changing your behavior is to become more thankful.

The practice of gratitude involves a focus on the present moment, on appreciating your life as it is today and what has made it so.

Let us begin an eternal quest to express in new and creative ways our thanks to God.

So I'm breathing in Your grace,

And I'm breathing out Your praise.

Let our prayers be the overflow of a grateful heart to God.

Three steps in prayer:

PRAISE – praise, reverence, worship, adoration, and awe for who God is and what He does

ASK – honest, earnest, and intense requests

THANK YOU – always end with thanksgiving for everything

Pulpit commentary:

In everything give thanks.

In every circumstance – in joy and in sorrow; for everything – for prosperity and for adversity; in every place – in the house of God and on the bed of sickness.

Christians should not only be engaged in constant prayer, but in constant thanksgiving.

For this – this thankful spirit – is the will of God, His desire.

God by the gift of his Son has laid us under the obligation of perpetual thanksgiving. Our whole lives ought to be one continued thank-offering for all the blessings of redemption.

Gill's Exposition:

Thanks are to be given to him for all things…

For all temporal good things;

for our beings, the preservation of them;

for food and raiment, and all the mercies of life;

for the means of grace, the word and ordinances, and the ministers of the Gospel;

for spiritual blessings, for electing, redeeming, regenerating, adopting, pardoning, justifying, and persevering grace:

for a meetness for heaven, a right unto it, and a good hope of it;

and especially for Jesus Christ, for such a…Saviour, and advocate with the Father, as he is; and for life, peace, joy, comfort, righteousness, and salvation in him.

Thanks should be given to God in every circumstance of life; in adversity, as Job did; when not in so comfortable and agreeable a frame of soul as to be wished for…even under the temptations of Satan…since the grace of God is sufficient to bear up under them, and deliver out of them.

[Give thanks] in afflictions of every kind, since they are all for good – temporal, or spiritual, or eternal.

WHAT IS LOVE?

Love is when you are missing some of your teeth but you're not afraid to smile because you know your friends will still love you even though some of you is missing.

By Emma K. - Age 6

"Out of the mouth of babes..."

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.

Anonymous

When you are uncertain, it helps to have someone remind you what is true – someone who knows you well, who sees you, and keeps track of you – not just your body but your soul.

Emily Freeman

Sharon Sharing God

Friday, May 3, 2013

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Rejoice

8 comments:

Labels

HOW GREAT THOU ART

ALL FOR HIS GLORY

I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS

THE GLORIFIED ONE

SERVING THE MOST HIGH

HE IS ALWAYS THERE, AND EVER NEAR