Kelly Aul
Author - Publisher - Graphic Designer - Video Producer - Blogger
Do you feel it?
12-13-2020
Do you feel it? The tension as you walk through the grocery store. The fear that is rampant on social media and the internet. The negative news everywhere. The uncertainty of our country. Everyone seems like they’re on edge. It’s gone on too long. This should be the happiest, most cheerful time of the year when we get together with family. For most, events have been cancelled, people have lost their jobs, and trips have been put on hold. People have lost whatever they’ve been looking forward to. They’re clinging to whatever type of hope they can just to survive, so much so, some are even hoarding toilet paper! People getting mad at others for being happy, some even giving them the evil eye if laughter is heard, because they’re obviously not taking this seriously. So many haven’t left their homes in almost a year. The seclusion. The loneliness. The disunity. The anger and frustration. The impatience. It’s everywhere!
But I didn’t write all of this to merely state the obvious. I want to share with you that there is GOOD NEWS! Even with everything going on around us, it is possible to not let it touch your heart. You don’t even have to let it come close to you! You can enter into a bubble of peace, protection, safety, health, joy, and prosperity, all the while, looking through the barrier and seeing people around you being affected by the darkness.
I used to think, in order to have peace and a feeling of security, everything had to be going good. I needed money in my pocket, feeling healthy, and nothing to worry about…THEN I could be happy. I would even say to myself, “As soon as this problem is over, THEN I won’t have anything to worry about.” But guess what? When that problem did pass, another one came. I was running in worry circles! That is until, I realized the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is when everything is going great. Joy is something you can have during any circumstance.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
Another translation says, When you’re surrounded by troubles, you should be full of joy.
How can this be possible? How can I have joy when I’m surrounded by troubles? Because joy doesn’t come from outward things like money, jobs, or health.
Nehemiah 8:10 The joy of the LORD is your strength.
Who’s joy is it? Yours? No. It’s more clear in the Good News translation. It says, The joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong.
Joy comes from the Lord! No other place. If it comes from Him, nothing in this world can take it away! We’ve all heard the saying, “CHOOSE JOY.” If joy comes from Him, then it comes down to a choice. It’s our turn to choose. To live in the bubble, we have to choose joy. Why is it so important to choose joy? Because it’s our strength. No joy? No strength. When you have joy, you can go through ANYTHING!
“If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.” ― Corrie Ten Boom.
Corrie Ten Boom knew a little something of how to get through anything. She was a Dutch watchmaker. In the 1940’s, her sister Betsie ten Boom and other family members helped many Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II by hiding them in her home. They were soon caught, and she, along with her family, was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Corrie and Betsie converted many of the prisoners there to Christianity. Betsie's health continued to deteriorate, and she died on 16 December 1944 at the age of 59. Before she died, she told Corrie, "There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still." Twelve days later, Corrie was released because of a clerical error. She was released just in time for a week later, all the women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers.
The joy of the Lord was her strength and it got her through the horrors of the Holocaust. Her amazing story reminds me of Paul and Silas in the Bible. (Acts 16:16-40)
They were arrested for healing a girl in Jesus’ Name, beaten with many stripes, and thrown into prison with their feet in stocks. Can you imagine how painful it must have been to be sitting there, backs bleeding, in the terrible condition of a prison cell? Yet, through all of this, they chose joy.
Acts 16:25-26 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
When we choose joy, in the midst of whatever we’re going through, God can do AMAZING things! The problems some of us find ourselves in, don’t even come close to being beaten, or thrown into a concentration camp!
John 16:33 AMPC I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration but be of good cheer [take courage be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
Jesus told us there would be trials, distress, and frustrations, but He didn’t stop there. He told us to be of good cheer!
How do we enter this bubble of joy and protection? The bubble I’m talking about is called the secret place in Psalms 91.
Psalms 91:1 & 4 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Anyone who has made Jesus the Lord of their life can enter it by doing what it says in verse 2.
Psalms 91:2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God in him will I trust.
By saying the Lord is my refuge and my fortress, MY God, in Him will I trust. To remain there, we have to continually keep saying it and keeping our eyes on Him and His word, instead of the fear and panic going on around us.
Psalms 91:9-11 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Jairus, the man in the Bible who was leading Jesus to his house so He could pray for his I'll daughter, was just given the news that his daughter was dead. (Mark 5) This is what I call a hopeless situation! Being told your daughter is dead? That’s it! It’s done…over with. There’s no more hope. However, the moment He heard this, Jesus cut in, through the shock and the sadness and said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)
Fear not. Only believe. At this point, Jairus had a decision to make. He could give in to the sorrow or he could reject the fear and believe! Because of he chose to believe, Jesus raised his little girl from the dead!
I'm saying the same thing to you that Jesus said. Fear not!! Only believe!!!
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
This wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t read this in The Passion Translation Romans 15:13 Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him.
When you really believe, you will have joy and peace. It’s time for us to turn our back on the fear and uncertainty this world is experiencing and enter into that secret place! Yes, you might feel surrounded but it will not come near you!
There’s a powerful song by Michael W. Smith. Some of the lyrics are, “It may look like I'm surrounded, but I'm surrounded by You.” That’s God's promise to you! Keep your eyes on Him! Choose joy and you will come through unharmed and victorious!
Never forget that there is ALWAYS hope! Love, Kelly
But I didn’t write all of this to merely state the obvious. I want to share with you that there is GOOD NEWS! Even with everything going on around us, it is possible to not let it touch your heart. You don’t even have to let it come close to you! You can enter into a bubble of peace, protection, safety, health, joy, and prosperity, all the while, looking through the barrier and seeing people around you being affected by the darkness.
I used to think, in order to have peace and a feeling of security, everything had to be going good. I needed money in my pocket, feeling healthy, and nothing to worry about…THEN I could be happy. I would even say to myself, “As soon as this problem is over, THEN I won’t have anything to worry about.” But guess what? When that problem did pass, another one came. I was running in worry circles! That is until, I realized the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is when everything is going great. Joy is something you can have during any circumstance.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
Another translation says, When you’re surrounded by troubles, you should be full of joy.
How can this be possible? How can I have joy when I’m surrounded by troubles? Because joy doesn’t come from outward things like money, jobs, or health.
Nehemiah 8:10 The joy of the LORD is your strength.
Who’s joy is it? Yours? No. It’s more clear in the Good News translation. It says, The joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong.
Joy comes from the Lord! No other place. If it comes from Him, nothing in this world can take it away! We’ve all heard the saying, “CHOOSE JOY.” If joy comes from Him, then it comes down to a choice. It’s our turn to choose. To live in the bubble, we have to choose joy. Why is it so important to choose joy? Because it’s our strength. No joy? No strength. When you have joy, you can go through ANYTHING!
“If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.” ― Corrie Ten Boom.
Corrie Ten Boom knew a little something of how to get through anything. She was a Dutch watchmaker. In the 1940’s, her sister Betsie ten Boom and other family members helped many Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II by hiding them in her home. They were soon caught, and she, along with her family, was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Corrie and Betsie converted many of the prisoners there to Christianity. Betsie's health continued to deteriorate, and she died on 16 December 1944 at the age of 59. Before she died, she told Corrie, "There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still." Twelve days later, Corrie was released because of a clerical error. She was released just in time for a week later, all the women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers.
The joy of the Lord was her strength and it got her through the horrors of the Holocaust. Her amazing story reminds me of Paul and Silas in the Bible. (Acts 16:16-40)
They were arrested for healing a girl in Jesus’ Name, beaten with many stripes, and thrown into prison with their feet in stocks. Can you imagine how painful it must have been to be sitting there, backs bleeding, in the terrible condition of a prison cell? Yet, through all of this, they chose joy.
Acts 16:25-26 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
When we choose joy, in the midst of whatever we’re going through, God can do AMAZING things! The problems some of us find ourselves in, don’t even come close to being beaten, or thrown into a concentration camp!
John 16:33 AMPC I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration but be of good cheer [take courage be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
Jesus told us there would be trials, distress, and frustrations, but He didn’t stop there. He told us to be of good cheer!
How do we enter this bubble of joy and protection? The bubble I’m talking about is called the secret place in Psalms 91.
Psalms 91:1 & 4 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Anyone who has made Jesus the Lord of their life can enter it by doing what it says in verse 2.
Psalms 91:2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God in him will I trust.
By saying the Lord is my refuge and my fortress, MY God, in Him will I trust. To remain there, we have to continually keep saying it and keeping our eyes on Him and His word, instead of the fear and panic going on around us.
Psalms 91:9-11 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Jairus, the man in the Bible who was leading Jesus to his house so He could pray for his I'll daughter, was just given the news that his daughter was dead. (Mark 5) This is what I call a hopeless situation! Being told your daughter is dead? That’s it! It’s done…over with. There’s no more hope. However, the moment He heard this, Jesus cut in, through the shock and the sadness and said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)
Fear not. Only believe. At this point, Jairus had a decision to make. He could give in to the sorrow or he could reject the fear and believe! Because of he chose to believe, Jesus raised his little girl from the dead!
I'm saying the same thing to you that Jesus said. Fear not!! Only believe!!!
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
This wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t read this in The Passion Translation Romans 15:13 Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him.
When you really believe, you will have joy and peace. It’s time for us to turn our back on the fear and uncertainty this world is experiencing and enter into that secret place! Yes, you might feel surrounded but it will not come near you!
There’s a powerful song by Michael W. Smith. Some of the lyrics are, “It may look like I'm surrounded, but I'm surrounded by You.” That’s God's promise to you! Keep your eyes on Him! Choose joy and you will come through unharmed and victorious!
Never forget that there is ALWAYS hope! Love, Kelly
