Isaiah 55:12
New King James Version (NKJV)
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Paul writes, "Come out from them (the world) and be separate", because our faith should make us different. But not negatively different--positively different! Understand this: unless you commit yourself every single day to walking in the joy of the Lord, you'll find negative ways of distinguishing yourself from non-believers. Stop and think who you represent......
Jesus is called "The good shepherd" (John 10:11). This word good comes from the Greek word kelos, meaning winsome. Does that describe you? It should!
Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Php 4:4) When he wrote those words he was in prison with no chance of getting out. Happiness is an emotion, but joy is a decision. And your decisions must rule your emotions, not vice-versa. Every morning you should get up and say, "Today I will go out with joy, because God's Word demands it and a hurting world needs it!"
