March 31:  Joy to the World.

The Coming of the Lord Is Our Hope.
The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.--Proverbs 10:28, NKJV

THE COMING OF THE LORD has been in all ages the hope of His true followers.  The Saviour's parting promise upon Olivet, that He would come again, lighted up the future for His disciples, filling their hearts with joy and hope that sorrow could not quench nor trials dim.  Amid suffering and persecution, the "appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" was the "blessed hope."--The Great Controversy, 302.

From the day when the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer's power and bring them again to the lost Paradise.--The Great Controversy, 299.

To dwell forever in this home of the blest, to bear in soul, body, and spirit, not the dark traces of sin and the curse, but the perfect likeness of our Creator, and through ceaseless ages to advance in wisdom, in knowledge, and in holiness, ever exploring new fields of thought, ever finding new wonders and new glories, ever increasing in capacity to know and to enjoy and to love, and knowing that there is still beyond us joy and love and wisdom infinite--such is the object to which the Christian's hope is pointing.--Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 55.

March 30:  Joy to the World.

Christ Our Guide.
O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.  The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance.  I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the night seasons.  I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.--Psalm 16:5-8, NKJV

HAVE THERE NOT BEEN some bright spots in your experience?  Have you not had some precious seasons when your heart throbbed with joy in response to the Spirit of God?  When you look back into the chapters of your life experience do you not find some pleasant pages?  Are not God's promises, like the fragrant flowers, growing beside your path on every hand?  Will you not let their beauty and sweetness fill your heart with joy?--Steps to Christ, 117.

The road may be rough and the ascent steep; there may be pitfalls upon the right hand and upon the left; we may have to endure toil in our journey; when weary, when longing for rest, we may have to toil on; when faint, we may have to fight; when discouraged, we must still hope; but with Christ as our guide we shall not fail of reaching the desired haven at last.  Christ Himself has trodden the rough way before us and has smoothed the path for our feet.

And all the way up the steep road leading to eternal life are well-springs of joy to refresh the weary.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 140.

                       Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.  
                                             You guard all that is mine.
                              The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
                                             What a wonderful inheritance!
                              
                                                         --Psalm 16: 5, 6, NLT

March 29:  Joy to the World.

Enjoying Good Food With Moderation.
They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity--all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.  And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.--Acts 2:46, 47, NLT

EATING AND DRINKING in accordance with the laws of health promote virtuous actions.  But if the stomach is abused by habits that have no foundation in nature, Satan takes advantage of the wrong that has been done and uses the stomach as an enemy of righteousness, creating a disturbance which affects the entire being.--Counsels on Health, 577.

God is not honored when the body is neglected or abused and is thus unfitted for His service.  To care for the body by providing for it food that is relishable and strengthening is one of the first duties of the householder.  It is far better to have less expensive clothing and furniture than to stint the supply of food.--The Ministry of Healing, 322.

Let the table be made inviting and attractive, as it is supplied with the good things which God has so bountifully bestowed.  Let mealtime be a cheerful, happy time.  As we enjoy the gifts of God, let us respond by grateful praise to the Giver.--The Ministry of Healing, 385.

                          When you sit down to eat with someone important,
               keep in mind who he is.  If you have a big appetite, restrain yourself.
         Don't be greedy for the fine food he serves; he may be trying to trick you.
                              
                                                         --Proverbs 23:1-3, GNT

March 28:  Joy to the World.

The Joy of Hospitality.
He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor.  This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.--Esther 9:22, NLT

GRATITUDE, REJOICING, benevolence, trust in God's love and care--these are health's greatest safeguard.  To the Israelites they were to be the very keynote of life.--The Ministry of Healing, 281.

At their sacred feasts the Lord had directed that "the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat, and be satisfied."  Deuteronomy 14:29.--Christ's Object Lessons, 220.

These feasts were occasions of rejoicing, made sweeter and more tender by the hospitable welcome given to the stranger, the Levite, and the poor.--The Ministry of Healing, 281.

These gatherings were to be as object lessons to Israel.  Being thus taught the joy of true hospitality, the people were throughout the year to care for the bereaved and the poor.  And these feasts had a wider lesson.  The spiritual blessings given to Israel were not for themselves alone.  God had given the bread of life to them, that they might break it to the world.--Christ's Object Lessons, 220.

                         "At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest
                             and store it in the nearest town.  Give it to the Levites, who will receive
                       no allotment of land among you, as well as to the foreigner living among you,
                          the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied.
                                    Then the Lord your God will bless you in all your work."
                                                                                  --Deuteronomy 14:28, 29, NLT

March 27:  Joy to the World.

The Joy of Israel.
The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.--1 Kings 4:20, NIV

ISRAEL HAD HAD ABUNDANT OCCASION for rejoicing.  The land to which the Lord had brought them was a land flowing with milk and honey.  During the wilderness wandering, God had assured them that He was guiding them to a country where they need never suffer for lack of rain.--Prophets and Kings, 135.

God brought the Israelites from Egypt, that He might establish them in the land of Canaan, a pure, holy, and happy people.  In the accomplishment of this object He subjected them to a course of discipline, both for their own good and for the good of their posterity.  Had they been willing to deny appetite, in obedience to His wise restrictions, feebleness and disease would have been unknown among them.  Their descendants would have possessed both physical and mental strength.  They would have had clear perceptions of truth and duty, keen discrimination, and sound judgment....

God might as easily have provided them with flesh as with manna, but a restriction was placed upon them for their good.  It was His purpose to supply them with food better suited to their wants than the feverish diet to which many had become accustomed in Egypt.  The perverted appetite was to be brought into a more healthy state, that they might enjoy the food originally provided for man--the fruits of the earth, which God gave to Adam and Eve in Eden.--Patriarchs and Prophets, 378.

March 26:  Joy to the World.

God Uses the Elements to Produce Food.
You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.  You cause grass to grow for the livestock and plants for the people to use.  You allow them to produce food from the earth.--Psalm 104:13, 14, NLT

GOD HAS BOUNTIFULLY PROVIDED for the sustenance and happiness of all His creatures; and if His laws were never violated, and all acted in harmony with the divine will, health, peace, and happiness, instead of misery and continual evil, would be experienced.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, 368.

It is by the mighty power of the Infinite One that the elements of nature in earth and sea and sky are kept within bounds.  And these elements He uses for the happiness of His creatures.  "His good treasures" is freely expended "to give rain...in his season, and to bless all the work" of man's hands.  Deuteronomy 28:12.--Prophets and Kings, 134.

                                 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
                                             they flow between the hills,
                                       giving drink to every wild animal;
                                       the wild asses quench their thirst.
                         By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
                                    they sing among the branches....
                               You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
                                         and plants for people to use,
                                     to bring forth food from the earth,
                                  and wine to gladden the human heart.
                              
               --Psalm 104:10-12, 14, 15, NRSV

March 25:  Joy to the World.

All Necessities of Life Assured.
Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong--these are the ones who will dwell on high.  The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress.  Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance.--Isaiah 33:15, 16, NLT

EVERY DAY YOU ARE TO PRAY, "Give us this day our daily bread."  Be not dismayed if you have not sufficient for tomorrow.  You have the assurance of His promise, "So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed."  David says, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."  Psalm 37:3, 25.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 110.

That God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children.  He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied.  While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants.  To him that "walketh righteously" is the promise: "Bread shall be given him; his water shall be sure."  "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them."  Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41: 17.--The Great Controversy, 629.

                    Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
                         and there are no grapes on the vines;
                                 even though the olive crop fails,
                            and the fields lie empty and barren;
                      even though the flocks die in the fields,
                                  and the cattle barns are empty,
                                     yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
                      I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
                                                                   --Habakkuk 3:17, 18, NLT

March 24:  Joy to the World.

We Should Relish Our Food.
So go ahead.  Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!--Ecclesiastes 9:7, NLT

IT IS IMPORTANT that we relish the food we eat.  If we cannot do this, but eat mechanically, we fail to be nourished and built up as we would be if we could enjoy the food we take into the stomach.  We are composed of what we eat.  In order to make a good quality of blood, we must have the right kind of food, prepared in a right manner.

It is a religious duty for those who cook to learn how to prepare healthful food in different ways, so that it may be eaten with enjoyment....The eating has to do with the life....It is highly essential that the art of cookery be considered one of the most important branches of education....Knowledge of how to prepare food healthfully, especially bread, is no mean science.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, 681, 682.

To the health and happiness of the whole family nothing is more vital than skill and intelligence on the part of the cook.  By ill-prepared, unwholesome food she may hinder and even ruin both the adult's usefulness and the child's development.  Or by providing food adapted to the needs of the body, and at the same time inviting and palatable, she can accomplish as much in the right as otherwise she accomplishes in the wrong direction.  So, in many ways, life's happiness is bound up with faithfulness in common duties.--Education, 216.

            So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
                                                                                          --1 Corinthians 10:31, NLT

March 23:  Joy to the World.

Food Provided by God.
Out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.--Genesis 2:9, NKJV

GOD HAS FURNISHED man with abundant means for the gratification of natural appetite.  He has spread before him, in the products of the earth, a bountiful variety of food that is palatable to the taste and nutritious to the system.  Of these our benevolent heavenly Father says that we may "freely eat."  We may enjoy the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, without doing violence to the laws of our being.  These articles, prepared in the most simple and natural manner, will nourish the body, and preserve its natural vigor without the use of flesh meats.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, 50.

Persons who have accustomed themselves to a rich, highly stimulating diet have an unnatural taste, and they cannot at once relish food that is plain and simple.  It will take time for the taste to become natural and for the stomach to recover from the abuse it has suffered.  But those who persevere in the use of wholesome food will, after a time, find it palatable.  Its delicate and delicious flavors will be appreciated, and it will be eaten with greater enjoyment than can be derived from unwholesome dainties.--The Ministry of Healing, 298.

                  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden
            to work it and take care of it.  And the Lord God commanded the man,
                              "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
                 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
                                 for when you eat from it you will certainly die."
                                                                                           --Genesis 2:15-17, NIV

March 22:  Joy to the World.

Labor Yields True Joy.
When you eat and labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.--Psalm 128:2, NKJV

JESUS LIVED in a peasant's home, and faithfully and cheerfully acted His part in bearing the burdens of the household....He learned a trade, and with His own hands worked in the carpenter's shop with Joseph.  In the simple garb of a common laborer He walked the streets of the little town, going to and returning from His humble work.  He did not employ His divine power to lessen His burdens or to lighten His toil.

As Jesus worked in childhood and youth, mind and body were developed.  He did not use His physical powers recklessly, but in such a way as to keep them in health, that He might do the best work in every line.  He was not willing to be defective, even in the handling of tools.  He was perfect as a workman, as He was perfect in character.  By His own example He taught that it is our duty to be industrious, that our work should be performed with exactness and thoroughness, and that such labor is honorable.  The exercise that teaches the hands to be useful and trains the young to bear their share of life's burdens gives physical strength, and develops every faculty.  All should find something to do that will be beneficial to themselves and helpful to others.  God appointed work as a blessing, and only the diligent worker finds the true glory and joy in life.--The Desire of Ages, 72.

                         In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters,
                                   to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive
                               and does not live according to the teaching you received from us....
                                   For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule:
                                         "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."
                              
                                                              --2 Thessalonians 3:6, 10, NIV