Real Joy Part 4
Download MP3Welcome to a place of peace, hope, and divine encouragement. This is Joy In Every Step with your host, beloved preacher, retired teacher, and faithful servant of the Lord, elder Sarita Bernadette. Long before podcasting existed, a promise was spoken. That one day, Sarita's voice would bring comfort, clarity, and understanding through the word of God. Years later, when God opened the door, Sarita took the next step in faith.
Introduction:What began as a leap of faith has become a weekly invitation to walk more closely with God, discover the joy found in his word, and receive fresh revelation for every step of the journey. Whether you're walking through the valleys or standing on the mountaintops, Sarita's heartfelt messages will guide you back to God's promises with wisdom, warmth, and the gentle reminder that he cares deeply for you. So open your heart, settle your spirit, and take the next step in faith with Joy In Every Step.
Sarita Bernadette:Hi, I'm Sarita Bernadette, and welcome back to Joy In Every Step. I'm glad you're here. So as you know, we are into our second year and today we're going to keep going with our deep dive into the topic of joy, real joy. Our last three episodes established that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It's one of the nine observable observable virtues that the Holy Spirit cultivates in a believer's life.
Sarita Bernadette:We were also reminded that there is great joy in the presence of the Lord and in recalling the wonderful things He's done. We broke down the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is based on external factors, usually, right? Joy is a deeper state rooted in internal contentment. We looked at how James, the half brother of Jesus, urged believers to count it all joy when you meet trials because they build resilience.
Sarita Bernadette:We remembered that there is great joy in the good news of the gospel and the anticipation of eternal life. Nehemiah reminded us that the joy of the Lord is our strength and Paul told us to rejoice in the Lord always. We were encouraged to choose joy and even set the atmosphere with it. Remember, in a world full of thermometers, be a thermostat. From the book of Proverbs, we learned that our mental and spiritual health impacts our physical health.
Sarita Bernadette:Also, witnessing the power of God at work in our lives increases our faith. The widow at Zarephath experienced two miracles that changed her outlook on life and brought her great joy. Well, I believe that we don't have to wait for a miracle. I believe there is joy in everyday life. Joy in the little things, joy in the seemingly mundane.
Sarita Bernadette:To look closer, let's open the book of Ecclesiastes. Yes, the book of Ecclesiastes. It is such an interesting book. I encourage you to read it in its entirety when you have a chance. It's a book full of wisdom.
Sarita Bernadette:It's a piece of literature in the Bible that explores the meaning of life and the human condition. It's traditionally attributed to King Solomon, however, no one really knows with certainty who wrote the book. The narrator or author introduces the teacher at the beginning of the book and the teacher shares that all worldly pursuits like wealth, pleasure and even achievements are temporary and ultimately meaningless without God. Go with me for a bit. The book opens with this verse, Ecclesiastes one and one.
Sarita Bernadette:Vanity of vanities, says the teacher. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. I know what you're thinking. That doesn't exactly inspire a positive outlook on life.
Sarita Bernadette:But when you explore the original Hebrew word for vanities, the message becomes clearer. Listen. The original Hebrew word used in that verse is hevel. Hevel, which translates closer to vapor, breath, or meaningless. It points out how life on this earth is fleeting, unpredictable, temporary.
Sarita Bernadette:Admittedly beloved, much of it is out of our control, right? The first seven chapters of Ecclesiastes describe all the worldly experiences under the sun and we read about how the teacher tries to find satisfaction in them. That term under the sun is repeated a number of times in the book and it means earthly, temporary, or human things. So he's tried science, various philosophies and moral codes, he mentions amusement, he's tried alcohol, he's tried architecture, gardening, owning property and even living in the lap of luxury. And after all that, he found that without God, none of it had any real purpose or meaning, nor did it last.
Sarita Bernadette:Then in chapters eight through 12, the teacher goes on to share how life should be lived. He repeats his conclusion that man's best accomplishments aren't worth much in the end without God. So he advises believers to acknowledge God early in life and follow His plan, His will for one's life. One popular verse from the book is Ecclesiastes five verses 18 through 19, there are actually two verses there and you might have heard these before. It reads, This is what I have seen to be good.
Sarita Bernadette:It is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us, for this is our lot. Likewise, all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil, this is the gift of God. For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts. Beloved, enjoying the simple things that come with this life, eating, drinking, finding work, finding joy rather in the work we've been assigned to do, it's all a gift from God. The simple things.
Sarita Bernadette:The teacher tells us to accept our lives with gladness and stop striving so much for wealth and other meaningless temporary things. He sends the message that life is short. I agree. So spending it pursuing things that will not last is a waste of precious time. The verse reminds us that there is joy in ordinary things.
Sarita Bernadette:And if we look for the joy in the little things each day, we won't have time to moan and complain. I'll come back to that just a little bit later. So in summary, the teacher in Ecclesiastes aims to open our eyes about pursuing joy through worldly processions. And he shares some wisdom from the perspective of someone who has examined the different facets of life. And as you read through the book, you see that he's looked at just about everything.
Sarita Bernadette:Right? I gave you a list. He listed much of what one could encounter in life and he decided that none of the material or physical things that humans give importance to provide a real rich sense of meaning. And therefore they cannot bring us true, deep, lasting joy. So the word of God tells us the spiritual realm is eternal and superior to the temporary physical world, right?
Sarita Bernadette:Look at Romans eight:five-six. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace. Beloved, if we're honest, we can admit that we tend to chase things that tickle our flesh when we would have better and more, lasting outcomes if we spent more time on spiritual things, you know, things that will last. In Matthew six nineteen through 21, Jesus himself warned, do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Sarita Bernadette:For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This scripture is telling us to devote our lives in service to God in the advancement of his kingdom. It reminds us that the human heart is going to be drawn toward what we value the most. In Mark eight and thirty six, Jesus said, for what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Beloved physical needs do matter, they do.
Sarita Bernadette:However, scripture clearly teaches that prioritizing your relationship with the Lord and securing eternal life holds far more weight than worldly success. Your soul matters more than your stuff. Your soul matters more than your stuff. Now we want to be clear. It's not a sin to be wealthy and yes, I'm going to repeat that too.
Sarita Bernadette:It's not a sin to be wealthy. Deuteronomy eight eighteen states, But remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors as he is doing today. Moses spoke this on behalf of the Lord to the children of Israel before they went into the promised land. So that when they got in there and they started building houses and gaining wealth and doing well, he wanted to make sure that they did not forget who gave them the power to do it all. He wanted them to remember where it was all coming from.
Sarita Bernadette:God promises that His children will not go without, that they will have what they need and more. These verses warn against pride and what I'd call Uber independence. There were many in the Bible who were well off, beloved. Abraham, Solomon, Job, just a few examples. And that was okay.
Sarita Bernadette:God gave them the wealth. First Timothy six and ten reads, For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And in their eagerness to be rich, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. My, my. The money itself is not the problem.
Sarita Bernadette:The problem arises when people become obsessed with it and place their trust in it rather than God. Now back to finding joy in ordinary things. There is so much in this life that we do every day without much thought. I believe the key to finding more joy in our daily lives is gratitude. Gratitude, being thankful.
Sarita Bernadette:It's a blessing just to wake up and put one's feet on the floor each morning. Amen. I find joy in taking the time to pray and thank God for another day. First thing, my morning routine also involves making a fresh pot of coffee, yes, and opening the blinds throughout the house. Simple things.
Sarita Bernadette:As the sun shines through, I continue to thank God for my life. It's a simple ritual that I look forward to each day. Beloved, I would encourage you to reframe those things that may seem mundane. You know, the things we say we have to do, reframe it and say, boy, I get to do this. I get to open the blinds.
Sarita Bernadette:I get to enjoy a good cup of coffee or a good cup of tea. I get to do these things. Begin to see those things that you do every day with gratitude. First Thessalonians five sixteen through 18, always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. This is Joy In Every Step.
Sarita Bernadette:I'm Sarita Bernadette and I'm grateful you chose to spend some time here with me. Feel free to share this episode with someone you know would appreciate it. You can find Joy In Every Step wherever you listen to your podcasts and give us a follow there. Do check out the website at joyineverystep.org. See you next time.
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