Joy In Christ

Thou will shew me
the path of life:
In thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore.
Psalms 16:11












Happiness in life often depends upon the external
circumstances in our life,
and so it dances in and out of our life.

JOY IN CHRIST IS DIFFERENT.

It is a result of the constant presence
of the eternal spirit of God
living within us,
our knowing him
and having a close relationship
and walk with him,
and in the promise
of his blessed hope.
This is why in the midst of valleys and pain,
yea, in spite of life itself,
we can sing with certainty,
It is well, it is well, with my soul......

Joy in Christ is. . .

The cross of Calvary
which shows me salvation is not
based upon me or my works,
but upon Christ
and what he so lovingly did for me.
For by grace ye are saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves:
It is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Peace
of knowing my sins are forgiven
And heaven is my home.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

His word
which is a lamp unto my feet
and a song unto my heart.
I will instruct thee
And teach thee
in the way thou shalt go:
I will guide thee with mine eye.
The words of the Lord are pure words:
as silver tried in a furnace or earth
purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O Lord,
Thou shalt preserve them
From this generation for ever.

Grace
sufficient for my every need.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:
And he delighted in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:
For the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Praying
and knowing he hears my every prayer
as the one who keeps me never sleeps or slumbers.
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
and he heard my voice
out of the temple,
and my cry came before him,
even unto his ears.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:
I will be with him in trouble:
I will deliver him, and honor him.

Growing
in knowledge and understanding of him each day
And in awareness of how truly great and awesome he is.
Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves
thereof arise, thou stillest them.

Knowing
that nothing can separate me from his love.
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
Nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth,
Nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us
from the love of Christ which is in Christ Jesus.

Security
of knowing he is in control
and will work everything out for my best.
He is on my side.
And we know that all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.

He is my protection.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
To keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands,
Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Assurance
that he will never leave me or forsake me.
I am never alone.
He shall cover thee with his feathers,
And under his wings shalt thou trust:
His truth shall be thy shield and bucklet.

Mercy
which endureth forever.
Thy mercy, O Lord is in thy heavens:
And thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Forgiveness
that washed me white as snow.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

His truth.
And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth
shall make you free.

Being born again.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
He is a new creature,
behold, all things are become new.

I am the child of a King.
But as many received him to them He gave the
power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name.
I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.

My name written upon the palm of his hand
and in the Lambs book of Life.
Behold, I have graven thee
upon the palms of my hands:
thy walls are continually before me.
He that overcometh, the same shall be
clothed in white rainment; and I will not
blot out his name out of The book of Life,
But I will confess his name
Before my Father, and before his angels.

Peace
which passeth all understanding.
Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you:
Not as the world giveth,
Give I unto you.

The Holy Spirit
who guides me in the footsteps of Christ.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the father will send in my name,
He shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.

Faith.
I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me.
For with God nothing will be impossible.

A rock to cling to when the storms of life
threaten to overwhelm me.
His hand lifting me up to higher ground.
For in time of trouble
He shall hide me in his pavillion:
In the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me:
He shall set me upon a rock.

Hope that never faileth.
But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.

Having a friend in Jesus.
But thou, O Lord art a God full of compassion,
and gracious, longsuffering and plenteous
in mercy and truth.

His small still voice.
For he is our God: and
we are the people of his pasture.
My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me.

His house.
Lord, I have loved the habitation of
your house, and the place
where your honor dwells.

God is so good.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth
us with benefits, even the God of our Salvation.

He arose.


Death has been defeated.
Satan has been defeated.
Jesus is coming again!
But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
Then they went in and did not find
the body of the Lord Jesus.
I am he that liveth,
and was dead,
And I am alive forever more.
Behold, He cometh with clouds,
and every eye shall see him....

By Nancye Sims
Copyright (c) 2011

Note: For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website www.nancyesims.com

Many thanks to Dale Stone for the use of his beautiful photo!

God Truly Works In Mysterious Ways

And the Angel of the LORD
appeared to him in a flame of fire
from the midst of a bush.
So he looked, and behold
the bush was burning with fire,
but the bush was not consumed.(Exodus 3:2)


Because it would be contrary to nature
as we know it,
we can almost imagine Moses'amazement
to see a bush on fire,
that never burned up.
With certainty, God works in many ways to reach those
with whom He has to do.
Sometimes He may do so in a unique way,
other times,
through a more expected way.

The burning bush is yet one more example
of how God's ways are not our ways,
and are indeed past finding out.
Truly the God of Heaven is far beyond
the ordinary, and earthly.

As unusual as a burning bush,
is the fact that God chose to speak to Moses
in this manner.
Undoubtedly Moses was shocked
that God would chose this method.
But His doing so reveals to us
that God is not limited
in either ways or locations
in His ability to appear, or speak with us
to accomplish His will,
for He is eternally omnipotent,
that is, all powerful.
And omnipresent, that is, everywhere.

So don't be surprised to hear or see God
in the most unexpected ways or places.
Nothing is too hard for Him,
and with Him
all things are possible.

By Nancye Sims
Copyright @ 2011

Praise him for his mighty acts;
praise him according to his excellent greatness.
(Psalms 50:2)

For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website at http://www.nancyesims.com

The Sun Will Rise Again

He shall be as the light of the morning,
when the sun riseth,
even a morning without clouds;
as the tender grass is springing out of the earth
by clear shining after rain.
II Samuel 23:4

So great were the storm clouds
the day was night.
I was hoping to make it to work
before the heavens opened its doors,
and the torrential rains started.
And I made it!
I was so happy to be safe inside,
and out of the storm's fury.
Ten minutes later I looked out the window,
and was amazed at what I saw.
The sky was a beautiful peaceful light blue,
there was not a cloud in sight,
and not one drop of rain had fallen.
The storm had passed us by.
He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
and the cloud is not rent under them.

Through nature God teaches us many lessons.

Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech or language,
where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he hath set a tabernacle for the sun,
which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the ends of the heaven,
and His circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid
from the heat thereof.

As storm clouds gather in the sky above,
so too, do they come into our life.
Often they catch us off guard.
We are surprised
and wonder what has befallen us.
But Christ tells us we shouldn't be surprised or wonder.
Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers
of Christ's sufferings;
that, when his glory shall be revealed,
ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

As you can see in the above verses,
Christ tells us there are no great mysteries
concerning the storm clouds,
in our life, or in nature,
but tells us they are just a normal part
of life's design.
With clouds He covereth the light;
and commandeth it not to shine
by the cloud that cometh betwixt.
God tells us that it is unrealistic for us
to think all of life
will be one of ease and comfort, and sunshine,
for life is made of both.
One follows the other like day follows night,
and spring follows winter.

Have you ever seen a storm that did not pass,
or a dark night that did not end,
or tears that did not stop
or a season that lived all year?

All things must come to an end
as Christ said:
Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but my words shall not pass away.
To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heavens.

As the Lord hath declared, it so shall it be.
The mighty God, even the Lord,
hath spoken, and called the earth
from the rising of the sun
unto the going down thereof.
Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth,
that did He in heaven, and in earth,
in the sea's, and all deep places.
Who can number the clouds in wisdom?
or who can stay the bottles of heaven?

Storm clouds are going to come.
And now men see not the bright light
which is in the clouds;
but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.
The clouds pass.
These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation;
but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world.

And He arose and rebuked the wind,
and said unto the sea, Peace be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
For thou has been a strength to the poor,
a strength to the needy in his distress,
a refuge from the storm,
a shadow from the heat,
when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm
against the wall.
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,
and He bringeth them out of their distresses.
He maketh the storm a calm,
so that the waves thereof are still.

Then the sun that was shining
all along behind the clouds
riseth gloriously in the sky.
Oh how it shines so brightly,
how it warms the heart,
and cheers the soul,
and makes it glad,
How beautiful it is!
Thank You Lord for storm clouds that try us,
for storm clouds
that make us appreciate the sunshine,
and for storm clouds that pass.
Thank You Lord for your light
that never stops shining,
for your love that never stops giving,
and for your mercy Lord that
is in thy heavens,
and faithfulness that reacheth
unto the clouds....

By Nancye Sims
Copyright©2011

For the Lord God is a sun and a shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
no good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly.
Psalms 84:11

For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website http://www.nancyesims.com/

The Gift Of Today

It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed,
because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning:
great is thy faithfulness:
Lamentations 3:22-23


Last night while you were sleeping
God prepared a special gift for you.
He wrapped it in His love,
tied it with the ribbons of dawn,
and sent it to you by grace.
As divinely planned,
it arrived on your doorstep this morning,
and it was the first thing you saw
when you opened your eyes.
Though often unrecognized as such,
it is a priceless treasure no one
can give to you but Him.
His gift to you?
The gift of today.
Between its first light and its last,
new mercies abound,
within its minutes and hours,
heavenly opportunities are born.

They were given to you for a reason.
Your Creator,
and the giver of this day,
has a work for you to do.
You were made to serve Him,
and to live for Him,
for the earth is His
and the fulness thereof.

Today you are called to be a witness for Him,
a light that shines in the darkness,
with the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.
You are called to be a sower of His seed,
and a soldier in His army,
and to make His name known among all nations.
You are called to be His eyes,
His ears, His hands, and His feet.
To feel with His heart,
To think with His mind,
To love with His love,
so throughout the days
and weeks of your life,
where ever you go others
will see Him in you
and know He lives.....

By Nancye Sims
Copyright © 2011

Delight thyself also in the Lord,
and he shall give thee
the desires of thine heart.
Psalms 37:4

For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website http://www.nancyesims.com/

He Walks With Us All The Days Of Our Life

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee
all the days of thy life.
As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee:
I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 1:5

Pharoah worried that God indeed would send a deliverer to free the children of Israel from bondage, so he ordered all male children to be killed. A short time later a boy child was born, a child that seemed to have not much of a chance to live to boyhood. But his mother, loving him and fearing for his life, hid him for three precious months. But fearing for his safety,she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch,and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river bank.
A little later as divine providence would have it, Pharaoh's daughter came to the river to wash, and upon seeing the boy child, wept in compassion, and requested of her king father that she may keep it. And so as God had planned before this chosen child Moses was born, while he was yet in his mother's womb, He, God Almighty,was with Moses all the days of his life.

From the babe in the basket, to the courts of the kings, through forty hard years in the wilderness, and attacking armies, God and his angels were there with Moses every step of the way. Watching over him, leading and guiding, assisting and protecting, assuring him and the children of Israel, freedom and victory in a land flowing with milk and honey. A glorious land called "The Promised Land".

Never, never once did God let them down.
Never once did God fail or forsake them.
But was faithful in all promised until the end.

If we are his children,
He will do the same for us.
As God faithful, was with Moses in the hard difficult days in the wilderness,
Whatever our wilderness may be,
He is there with us also.
In this we should find strength and hope for our journey,
and the comfort of knowing
we walk not alone,
For God, Emman'u-el is with us.....

By Nancye Sims
Copyright @2011

Nay, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:37

For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website http://www.nancyesims.com/

The Eternal Light Of The World

In him was life; and the life
was the light of men.

John 1:4

A storm knocked out power last night
leaving large parts of the city
in darkness.
We were thrown off balance
and didn't know what quite to do.
Be not deceived my friend,
Christians too can be plunged into sudden darkness
if they fail to walk
closely to the Lord,
the eternal light of the world.

When we are cut off from Jesus
or follow Him from a distance,
we can't feel Him
or see His light.
When His power has been short circuited in our life
we become clothed in the darkness of pain,
loneliness, and despair.
Alone and without His powerful light
to light our path,
we are lost
and in blindness and can
see no way out.

Sometimes it is the storms in our life
that separate us from Him,
sometimes it is the cares of this world
that chokes the rays of His light.
Sometimes it is the foolish temptations
of this world that turn our eyes from Him,
and at other times it is just our weak
flesh seeking self instead of Him.
Whatever the cause may be
the result is the same,
darkness in which we hurt and struggle,
and feel lonely
as Christ seems far away
and unreal in the darkness,
and far beyond our reach.

King David too knew the pain and loneliness
of being in the darkness
and separated from God by its mighty gulf.
Hear his words.

My heart panteth, my strength faileth me:
As for the light of mine eyes,
It is also gone from me.

Then David showed us what all of us who
are in darkness should do,
he cried out to the Light Giver
who alone could take his darkness away.

He pleaded:

O' send out thy light and thy truth;
let them lead me; Let them bring me unto
thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacle.
Then will I go unto the altar of God,
unto God my exceeding joy: yea,
Upon the harp will I praise thee,
O God my God.
Why art thou cast down? O my soul?
And why art thou disquieted within me?
Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him,
who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

For thou wilth light my candle: the Lord
my God will enlighten my darkness.
For with thee is the fountain of life:
in thy light shall we see light.

Oh what good news Jesus has for those
of us who are in darkness.
For Yea, the darkness hideth not from
thee; but the night shineth as the day:
The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Through the tender mercy of our God:
where by the dayspring from on high
hath visited us,
to give light to them that sit in darkness,
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Wherefore is light given to him that is
in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul.
This then is the message which we have heard
of him, and declare unto you, that God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all.

Oh how good God is to us. Praise His holy name!
Jesus, dear Jesus,
promises us all the light we need
to live always.
Hear His eternal promises speak to us
as they did the multitudes who followed Him.

Then Jesus spake again unto them saying,
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD:
he that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.
I AM COME A LIGHT INTO THE WORLD,
that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness.
For ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord:
Walk as children of light.

As long as I am in the world
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart
and I will bring the blind by
a way that they knew not;
I will lead them in paths
that they have not known:
I will make darkness light before
them, and crooked things straight.
These things will I do unto them,
and not forsake them.

As repairmen work today to restore power
to the homes still in darkness
from last night's storms,
so too must Christians in darkness
separated from the eternal light
of the world,
work to repair the downed power lines
between heaven and earth,
so that God's joy, peace, and happiness,
will flow into their heart and soul once more.

How can we do this? Where do we begin?
We begin where King David began,
on our knees.
There's no better place to begin.
When your knees touch the floor on earth
their weight is felt in heaven,
a pipeline is opened
and from the great and mighty fountain of life,
power flows through,
and God's heavenly sunlight
forces the powers of darkness to flee.

Prayer opens the door to God's power.
His word keeps the power flowing,
so read His word daily to receive His power daily,
read His word daily
to to be bathed in His his light daily.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path.
The entrance of thy words giveth light;
it giveth understanding unto the simple.
But the path of the just is as a shining light,
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is as darkness:
they know not at what they stumble.

Jesus did not remove His light from us,
it is we
who removed ourselves from Him.
He was a burning and shining light:
and ye were willing for a season
to rejoice in His light.
But somewhere we got off course.
But glory be to God,
it is never too late to get back on,
to turn back to the Light.

Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him;
and he shall hear thee,
and thou shalt pay thy vows.
Thou shalt also decree a thing,
and it shall be established unto thee:
and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
When men are cast down, then thou shalt say,
There is lifting up; and he shall save
the humble person.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
For God who commanded the light to shine
out of the darkness,
hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye double minded-Be afflicted, and mourn,
and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning,
and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering
(for He is faithful that promised).
But it is good for me to draw near to God:
for I have put my trust in the Lord God,
that I may declare all thy works.

How good it is to know that Gods light
is still shining and will forevermore.
The sun shall be no more thy light by day;
neither for brightness shall the moon give
light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto
thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

How good it is to know the darkness is
but for a moment
when we seek His face.
How good it is to know that the light
is only a prayer away.
If you are in darkness today my friend,
I urge you to get down on your knees and pray.
I promise you that when you get up,
you will see everything in a new light.

Behold, The eternal light, the transforming,
life changing, darkness destroying, life giving,
undefeatable, all powerful, unending, unstoppable,
immeasurable, all perfect, eye opening, death
conquering, wave stilling, stone removing,
baptizing cleansing, grace abounding, chain
breaking, burden lifting, sin erasing, omnipresent,
omnipotent, love bearing, heaven sent, triumphant,.

Light Of The World............

By Nancye Sims
Copyright©2011

For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website http://www.nancyesims.com

Rejoice not against me,
O mine enemy: When I fall,
I shall arise;
When I sit in darkness,
the Lord shall be a light unto me.
--Michah 7:8

God Is Still On The Throne

The Lord hath prepared
his throne in the heavens;
and his kindgom ruleth over all.
Psalms 103:19

This morning as I watched an eagle soar
across the sky,
I thought of the things
that man cannot do but God can,
for only God
can make an eagle fly.
Seeing the things man has accomplished in the world today,
the skyscrapers he has built,
airplanes that can take a man to the moon,
ships that cross oceans,
it seems that indeed,
the sky is the limit,
and there is nothing that man cannot do.
Oh, but there is!
There is much man cannot do,
and what man has managed to accomplish
he has done so only by the grace and power of God,
for without it the world would not exist at all.

In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form and void;
and the spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters.

While God in his mercy and compassion
allowed man to accomplish much,
some things He has reserved for His power alone.
In a world that is constantly changing
and growing more chaotic everyday,
Oh how good it is to watch an eagle
soar across the sky,
to see the things that man cannot do,
and to be reminded that God Almighty
is still on the Throne,
still in control,
and all is well....

How good it is to see flowers blooming
and leaves growing on trees,
to see daylight anew each morning,
to see the rising of the sun
and the changing colors of the sky.
How good it is to see and hear the rain
He maketh to fall,
and to know the waves are still crashing
against distant shores,
to gaze upon the beauty of twinkling
stars in a velvet night,
and to feel the wind as it blows
through the land.
How good it is to see a rainbow in the sky
when a summer storm has passed,
and to hear the songbird sing as though
there were never a storm at all.

For the invisible things of him from
the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead;
so they are without excuse.

How good it is to see God's hand at work not
only in nature but also in the lives of man.
To see hope in the eyes of one who was hopeless,
to see joy return to those who were cast down,
to see broken hearts mended,
and earthly tears cease,
and lost souls saved.
Oh how good it is to see God
at work in the world today.

Thou hast a mighty arm:
strong is thy hand,
and high is thy right hand.
Ah Lord God! Behold,
thou hast made the heaven and
the earth by thy great power
and stretched out arm, and there
is nothing too hard for thee.

All these things testify of a power
greater than our own,
His name is JESUS.
His name is the great "I AM"
and He is -
Stop! Let me repeat that!
HE IS
still on the Throne
and there is -
Stop! Let me repeat that also!
THERE IS
still power in the blood,
in the wonder working power of the Lamb.
So relax today my friend, and rest.
Don't worry.
God is still Almighty,
and though you may not see it,
rest assured,
God is still on the Throne,
And He will be
as long as everlasting,
and as long as you can see,
an eagle fly..........

Author: Nancye Sims
Copyright©2011

Thy throne is established of old:
thou art from everlasting.
Psalms 93.2

For "Terms Of Use" please visit my website http://www.nancyesims.com/