French Press Coffee

It’s one of my delights, it brings me such joy. I really love the whole experience. At the restaurant downtown they bring it on a little tray with 2 cups, creamer, and sugar, and they serve it to you. It’s already set. The joy of it is already set before me, all I have to do is embark on the experience. It brings me even more delight when it’s enjoyed with the fellowship of friend, making a heart to heart connection. I have attempted to re-create this experience in my own home, but it was not the same. I’m the one making the coffee, and I don’t have the tray, and I don’t set it before myself. I believe the joy of it comes from being served, and feeling that sense of having it all set before me.

In the same way the Lord has prepared an experience for me, for us.

Song of Solomon 2:4-6 says
“He brought me to the banquet hall, and he looked on me with love. Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apricots, for I am lovesick. His left hand is under my head, in his right arm increases me.”

Each and every day, each and every moment, the Lord has something prepared for us. He is waiting for us to be still and aware of His presence to lavish his love on us. He’s waiting for us to partake what he has already prepared for us, to experience sweet fellowship with Him. He wants us to experience a love affair with him.

Our first night at Bible Study, Margaret, in her study Fight Back with Joy, taught on the close connection between love and joy. In the video she said, “The reason we can experience joy is because of God’s fierce love. Joy flows out of God’s affection for us. That’s why I’m convinced joy emanates out of the abiding sense of God’s fierce love”

See girls, that is where our true joy is found, in the love of the Father. Jesus tells us in John 15:9-11 AMP

“I have loved you all just as the father has loved me; abide in my love (continue in his love with me) if you keep my Commandments (if you continue to obey my instructions), you will abide in my love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed my father’s commandments and live on in His love. I have told you these things, that my joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness made of full measure and complete and over flowing.”

Jesus let’s us in on the secret, want more joy, then rest, abide in His love. That word “complete”in Greek means filled. Jesus longs for us to be filled with His joy.

I love what Margaret writes in Fight Back with Joy on page 22, “Jesus arrives in joy, departs in joy and cause us to great joy through fellowship with him. The proper response to being drenched in so much wondrous affection is to bring delight to God by offering our lives to him through obedience. We are destined for joy.”

This week I challenged the girls to “abide” in the Father’s love by reading scripture verses each day that reminded us of God’s fierce love. In addition to reading the scriptures we are keeping a “Joy Bomb Journal.” Margaret talks about recording 3 moments durning your day that brought you joy in a journal. A “Joy Bomb Journal.” I like to think of it as moments that the Father kissed you with joy. Remember He has already prepared us a banqueting table.

We will also begin reading Margaret’s book, Fight Back with Joy, chapters .000-.002.

 

Finally, click here to download this PDF and let’s have joy everyday!