Joy- just you and Him

If you lack joy, there is one way you can engage in the process of gaining every-increasing joy; learn to rejoice. A choice to rejoice cannot depend on circumstances, because it operates from the heart of faith. It lives regardless of what had happened, embracing the realities of His world that can only be accessed by trust in God and His Word. Rejoicing releases joy.

But perhaps the greatest secret regarding joy is in discovering God's joy over us. The Bible tells us, " The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). God has joy. And it's His joy over us that makes us strong! That truth set us free unlike anything else. Rejoice, for He is delighted in you!    

-Face to Face with God, Bill Johnson

Coming out from my eating problems and depression, I treasure happiness alot- ALOT. And I was lost for a few weeks because of people close to me, who have showered hurtful words at me even when I have not done anything wrong. But I realised the happiness of happiness and was so upset that I was finding it so difficult to be happy, and it was not like I was not trying! Just that the situation and people seemed to make it increasingly difficult! But I hung on! Hung on to God, even when I was beating down myself with criticising words!(yes I do that a lot! I have the tendency to tell myself how lousy I am!) This is all a great learning journey for me! Not easy but a great leap of my faith! Even when people closest to you beat you down, you will realized that you have to have total dependency on God! I mean total! Total!

I am really so glad that God has led me to read 'Face to face with God' by Bill Johnson! It is all by His guidance that I have this book and there has never been a book more eager to come out of it's cover to me than this one! It is literally dropping off from it's cover! I know this is really Abba Papa way of helping me because it is a trying time and I have difficulty reading the Bible and this book spoke to me in a lot of ways. I so believe that my Abba Father speaks to me always through the Holy Spirit! I have again and again did what He told me to and always there have been results that amaze me! Holy Spirit whispers to us! Yes! Like when my mum was secretly very upset with the way I spoke to her, she told my dad about it, who told me! ( even this converstation with my dad was guided my Holy Spirit!) I felt that God wants me to gift her an amazing gift, so I did! I gave her something that made her feel beautiful and love to tell her I am sorry and the way i spoke was unintentional. She was just so happy and touch that I am so happy too! The price of it all was worth it!!:D And again God also gave me creative ways to conduct our Family Alter time(sunday 9.30pm), it was activities to remind them of Love! The Spirit even nudge me to use the Love Dare book!(which is amazing because it is intend for couple, but hey it works well for a family!) And last night the Lord led me to pray for Yuxuan( at first I was hesitant cause I was so tired, it was after 1am at night!) but because i obey, God spoke and encourage Yuxuan through me!! These are just a few of the incidents when I hear the whisper of Holy Spirit and obey and the results are always out of my expectations! So i know God always speaks to us! Always! Just that we want to listen to Him or not! It is not a certain group of people who can hear Him! He wants to speak to all of us! The gift of prophesy or healing or in fact any gift of the Spirit is for everyone!

One major thing worth sharing and keeping in my heart is joy! Happiness is just a subset of joy! We are meant to rejoice! Because this is the Lord's promise for us! He loves us! He wants us to have joy! Always! It is great revelation for someone like me who wants to walk out totally from depression and from years of learning that God seems to be a judge who just wants us to be punish(Arg!) How wrong! I also learnt that to have this joy, it is only possible when we seek Him face to face! Not His work, His hands, His blessings! But His face! Just Him! And to enjoy joy at it's fullest, is to totally say you are totally for Him! Nothing less than being totally for Him! You will never be happy otherwise! Be like a child! Just be happy because He loves you and you love Him, unconditionally. That is true joy!:)

*All the photos by me:) It's so sweet and happy to see the little kids going so so crazy happy with just balloons! That is why the Bible says be like children!