Pray this for the New Year...

~Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Psalm 25:4

~Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11

~Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Psalm 119:18

~ Make me to hear joy and gladness... Psalm 51:8a

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Philippians 3:12-15

As we press forward into this New Year may God open our eyes to His joy.

I am currently reading the book, 'Contagious Joy', by Christa Kinde. Here are a few take aways from what I read this morning. She says,

"Discovering JOY isn't a matter of receiving something new, but discovering what has always been there. For believers, sometimes discovering JOY is simply a matter of opening our eyes to a new way of seeing."

We see in Numbers 22:31, "...the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face." If you are familiar with this account, you will remember that the angel had been there, Balaam just could not see him until the Lord opened his eyes.

We see David ask in Psalm 146:8, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law." The wondrous things David speaks of is already there, he's just needs his eyes opened so he can see them.

When we become believers God opens our eyes as we see in Acts 26:18. "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

Remember the day of Jesus' resurrection? Two men were on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:31 tells us what happened, "And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight."

As Christa Kinde says,

God can open our eyes to His Joy! He can open our eyes in order to see something that has always been there!

If you had a hard time finding Joy in 2018, pray these verses above. This New Year ask God to open your eyes to see His JOY. Keep Psalm 30:5 in mind. "...weeping may endure for a night, but JOY cometh in the morning."

Wishing you the Happiest of New Years! May your 2019 be abounding with His great JOY!