Victory!

Our joy needs to be in the Lord. You can turn to so many things just to get a little joy. All kinds of addictions are formed in the pursuit of joy. It goes like this... The first time you do it, you say "Wow that was fun, that's what I have been lacking, all I need to do is do that, then I will have fun and I will be happy". Then in a short time you find yourself looking for something more fun. That's the way it goes when your living for fun. Nothing lasts long, and the longer you live, the shorter fun lasts. I say... Don't live for fun, live for God! Don't live your days saying "what can I do for fun", that's waste of time. Why live such a worthless, meaningless life, of dead ends, and waning joys. Live you days saying "what can I do for God". Ah, there is such a rest of peace, and such a joy in God's goodness. Such an unheard of joy in serving Jesus. And when I say unheard of, I mean it. I Peter 1:8 calls it unspeakable...

I Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:"

Nothing equals the joy of Jesus. When I think on the wonder of living in His purity, the love He brings, the forgiveness He constantly gives, I cannot help but smile. I cannot help but laugh and sing for the Lord! Sometimes I smile all night. This is the Joy that comes from none but the Holy Spirit. When there is joy in the Lord it overpowers all other sinful drives. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, there is no other source.

If this seams outlandish to you, you have never experienced the joy of Jesus. Just living in his will. Doing what he says, and saying what he wants. You are blinded by sin and Satan. You need to confess your sin. Name it as God names it... lust, fornication, deceitfulness, stealing, bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, worry, addictions, greed, witchcraft, gossip, contention, impure thoughts, hate, pride, etc... You need to get it out in the light. You need to tell your parents if they are believers. You must ask for help. Satan is the one that wants you to hide your sin. God wants you to confess (tell) it to Him and others. Especially your parents as they are your God given trainers. You need to be in daily accountability with Christ's body, it's what God said. You can not get through this yourself, you need to tell others. That's the way God prescribed it. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

I Peter 5:5b Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Ps 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Jas 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

You are not just having small problems, you are having problems with sin, and Satan. Jesus is your only victory, and His victory is complete. There is no hope for you but following His way. In your own strength you can try to quit a million times, and you quitting will always be a drudgery, and temporary. Here's the reason, it's like having your fingers in the ears and your eyes shut. You can't hear God at all because of your sin.

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

But when you are a friend of God, you will have ALL freedom. There will be NO desire to sin, no need for it. No time for it because all your time will be filled with praising the Lord. Righteousness and joy will just flow naturally, His yoke is easy and his burden light. He will make a way when there is no way! In Christ we are overcomers! Will you do whatever He says? Will you give up all for Christ? Confess your sin. All it will bring is just more pain anyway. I can assure you on God's word; You can have complete, lasting, uncompromising, victory over all sin!

Ro 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is CRUCIFIED with him, that the body of sin might be DESTROYED, that henceforth we should NOT SERVE SIN.

That verse speaks of victory, it speaks of freedom, it speaks of what the real Christian life is like. We are not doomed to live in sin, Jesus came to set us free! Amen, I'll take it! Oh, what a life of JOY He brings!

Slip on over to Photo Post 45 to see a drawing representing this JOY!