PSALMS OF ASCENT!

PSALM 126:2

Filled
OUR MOUTHS WERE FILLED WITH LAUGHTER, OUR TONGUES WITH SONGS OF JOY. THEN IT WAS SAID AMONG THE NATIONS, THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR THEM. (PSALMS 126:2 NIV)
JOY
No one can argue with Joy. It is something we all recognise when it is genuine. And it is something everyone wants. But where does it come from? Joy is a characteristic of the Spirit, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:2223 NIV) Joy is a consequence of discipleship, not a requirement or a demand. Nor is it determined by our circumstances! Joy is what comes to us as we walk the Christian life in obedience and trust, May the God of hope ll you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NIV) it makes him sing. Gods rescue made us sing. We sang at our baptism because Gods rescue was better than anything we could have hoped for! I used to sing in the shower when I was a young Christian. Are we still singing with joy? If we want to experience that kind of joy today we must reect on what God has already done for us. Why not pray through your conversion story? Perhaps it will make you sing again. One reason for singing together at church is precisely this - that the songs remind us of what God has done for us, and in the remembering our spirits are refreshed and we are re-equipped to go and tell the world. in a good way, and to ask us about our faith, our story, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:1516 NIV) There can be no better reason for people to ask us about our story that them seeing the joy in our hearts and in our lives. Teenagers, why not ask someone in the church how and why they became a Christian. You may feel there is no one who struggles with the same questions, doubt or sins as you. But believe me, there are - just ask around! We were rescued by a God of grace, therefore reect and remember how lucky you are pray about this every day this week - God, thank you for r e s c u i n g m e f ro m . . . . . . I remember ........

STORIES
Whether the restoration (v1) was rescue from famine, plague, siege or captivity its nature was clearly miraculous or else the nations would not have been talking about it! We want people to talk about us -

SONGS
Joy naturally spills over, just as with this Psalmist here. He remembers what God did and

Malcolm Cox, email: malcolm.cox@iccmissions.org | ICC Missions on facebook | www.nwlcc.org