March 14:  Joy to the World.

Beholding Jesus.
Truly the light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.--Ecclesiastes 11:7, NKJV

IF WE GAZE even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes, the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look.  Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness.  We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else.  His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature.  By beholding, we are conformed to the divine similitude, even the likeness of Christ.  To all with whom we associate we reflect the bright and cheerful beams of His righteousness.  We have become transformed in character; for heart, soul, mind, and irradiated by the reflection of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us....

Jesus Christ is everything to us--the first, the last, the best in everything.  Jesus Christ, His Spirit, His character, colors everything; it is the wrap and the woof, the very texture of our entire being.  The words of Christ are spirit and life.  We cannot, then, center our thoughts upon self; it is no more we that life, but Christ that liveth in us, and He is the hope of glory.  Self is dead, but Christ is a living Saviour.  Continuing to look unto Jesus, we reflect His image to all around us.  We cannot stop to consider our disappointments, or even to talk of them; for a more pleasant picture attracts our sight--the precious love of Jesus.--Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 388, 389.

March 13:  Joy to the World.

The Sun of Righteousness Lights Our Day.
Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.--Psalm 19:4, 5, NKJV

WE NEED THE ENLIGHTENMENT of the Holy Spirit in order to discern the truths in God's word.  The lovely things of the natural world are not seen until the sun, dispelling the darkness, floods them with its light.  So the treasures in the word of God are not appreciated until they are revealed by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness....

As we study the Scriptures, we should pray for the light of God's Holy Spirit to shine upon the word, that we may see and appreciate its treasures.--Christ's Object Lessons, 113.

He whose heart has responded to the divine touch will be seeking for that which will increase his knowledge of God, and will refine and elevate the character.  As a flower turns to the sun, that the bright rays may touch it with tints of beauty, so will the soul turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may beautify the character with the graces of the character of Christ.--The Desire of Ages, 468.

His love gives us the privilege of sitting together with Him in heavenly places.  When the blessed light of the Sun of Righteousness shines into our hearts, and we rest in peace and joy in the Lord, then let us praise the Lord; praise Him who is the health of our countenance and our God.  Let us praise Him, not in words only, but by the consecration to Him of all that we are and all that we have.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 479.

                          "And the day which is coming shall burn them up,"
                                               Says the Lord of hosts,
                              "That will leave them neither root nor branch.
                                        But to you who fear My name
                                   The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
                                          With healing in His wings;
                                                  And you shall go out
                                       And grow fat like stall-fed calves"
                              
                                                      --Malachi 4:1, 2, NKJV

March 12:  Joy to the World.

Nature Obeys His Will.
Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders.  From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.  You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile.  The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.--Psalm 65:8, 9, NLT

THIS EARTH IS THE LORD'S.  Here it may be seen that nature, animate and inanimate, obeys His will....

How wonderfully, with what marvelous beauty, has everything in nature been fashioned.  Everywhere we see the perfect works of the great Master artist.  The heavens declare His glory, and the earth, which is formed for the happiness of man, speaks to us of His matchless love.  Its surface is not a monotonous plain, but grand old mountains rise to diversify the landscape.  There are sparkling streams and fertile valleys, beautiful lakes, broad rivers, and the boundless ocean.  God sends the dew and the rain to refresh the thirsty earth.  The breezes, that promote health by purifying and cooling the atmosphere, are controlled by His wisdom.  He has placed the sun in the heavens to mark the periods of day and night, and by its genial beams give light and warmth to the earth, causing vegetation to flourish.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 311, 312.

I call your attention to these blessings from the bounteous hand of God....Our kind heavenly Father has given us so many things to promote our happiness....He is the very fountain of love, the giver of blessings innumerable.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 312, 314.

               Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
                               Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
                     But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
                                                                                             --1 John 4:7, 8, NLT

March 11:  Joy to the World.

A Delightful Land.
"And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the Lord of hosts.--Malachi 3:12, NKJV

AS YOUR SENSES DELIGHT in the attractive loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse.  Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray.  In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of His glory.  It is written, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."  1 Corinthians 2:9.

The poet and the naturalist have many things to say about nature, but it is the Christian who enjoys the beauty of the earth with the highest appreciation, because he recognizes his Father's handiwork and perceives His love in flower and shrub and tree.  No one can fully appreciate the significance of hill and vale, river and sea, who does not look upon them as an expression of God's love to man.--Steps to Christ, 86, 87.

                      "You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.
                 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple....
                  Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight."
                              
                                                                        --Malachi 3:9, 10, 12, NLT

March 10:  Joy to the World.

Nature Created for Our Joy.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.  For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.  O Lord, how great are Your works!  Your thoughts are very deep.--Psalm 92:1-5, NKJV

IN THE LOVELINESS of the things of nature you may learn more of the wisdom of God than the schoolmen know.  On the lily's petals, God has written a message for you, written in language that your heart can read only as it unlearns the lessons of distrust and selfishness and corroding care.  Why has He given you the singing birds and the gentle blossoms, but from the overflowing love of a Father's heart, that would brighten and gladden your path of life?  All that was needed for existence would have been yours without the flowers and birds, but God was not content to provide what would suffice for mere existence.  He has filled earth and air and sky with glimpses of beauty to tell you of His loving thoughts for you.  The beauty of all created things is but a gleam from the shining of His glory.  If He has lavished such infinite skill upon the things of nature, for your happiness and joy, can you doubt that He will give you every needed blessing?--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 96.

March 9:  Joy to the World.

Rejoicing With All Nature.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.  Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.--Psalm 96:11-13, NKJV

GOD WOULD HAVE His children appreciate His works and delight in the simple, quiet beauty with which He has adorned our earthly home.--Steps to Christ, 85.

That Creator who planted the beautiful Eden for our first parents, and who has planted for us the lovely trees and flowers, and provided everything that is beautiful and glorious in nature for the human race to enjoy, designed that they should enjoy it....

That God who has planted these noble trees and clothed them with their rich foliage, who has given us the brilliant and beautiful shades of the flowers, and whose lovely handiwork we see in all the realm of nature, does not design to make us unhappy; He does not design that we shall have no taste for, and take no pleasure in, these things.  It is His design that we shall enjoy them and be happy in the charms of nature, which are of His own creating.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, 588.

Let me enjoy the beauties of the kingdom of God.  Let me delight in the paintings which His own fingers have colored.  I may enjoy them.  You may enjoy them.  We may not worship them, but through them we may be directed to Him and behold His glory who made all these things for our enjoyment.--Testimonies for the Church, 592.

March 8:  Joy to the World.

His Wisdom Brings Joy.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.  She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.--Proverbs 3:17, 18, ESV

THE WISE MAN SAYS that wisdom's "ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."  Proverbs 3:17.  Many cherish the impression that devotion to God is detrimental to health and the cheerful happiness in the social relations of life.  But those who walk in the path of wisdom and holiness find that "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."  1 Timothy 4:8.  They are alive to the enjoyment of life's real pleasures, while they are not troubled with vain regrets over misspent hours, nor with gloom of horror of mind, as the worldling too often is when not diverted by some exciting amusement.--Counsels on Health, 627.

True religion ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and makes its possessor a partaker of the purity and the holiness of heaven.  It brings angels near and separates us more and more from the spirit and influence of the world.  It enters into all the acts and relations of life and gives us the "spirit of a sound mind," and the result is happiness and peace.--Counsels on Health, 629.

                   They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
                   For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.
                   Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--
            his eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
                                                                                       --Romans 1:19, 20, NLT

March 7:  Joy to the World.

God Is Our Source of Wisdom.
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.  For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold.--Proverbs 3:13, 14, NLT

NEITHER BY SEARCHING the recesses of the earth nor in vain endeavors to penetrate the mysteries of God's being is wisdom found.  It is found, rather, in humbly receiving the revelation that He has been pleased to give, and in conforming the life to His will.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, 280.

Those who hunger for knowledge that they may bless their fellow men will themselves receive blessing from God.  Through the study of His word their mental powers will be aroused to earnest activity.  There will be an expansion and development of the faculties, and the mind will acquire power and efficiency.--Christ's Object Lessons, 334.

Let none think that there is no more knowledge for them to gain.  The depth of human intellect may be measured; the works of human authors may be mastered; but the highest, deepest, broadest flight of the imagination cannot find out God.  There is infinity beyond all that we can comprehend.  We have seen only the glimmering of divine glory and of the infinitude of knowledge and wisdom; we have, as it were, been working on the surface of the mine, when rich golden ore is beneath the surface, to reward the one who will dig for it.  The shaft must be sunk deeper and yet deeper in the mine, and the result will be glorious treasure.  Through a correct faith, divine knowledge will become human knowledge.--Christ's Object Lessons, 113.

Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy.--Steps to Christ, 9.

                If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.
                                                                                                     --James 1:5, NLT

March 6:  Joy of the World.

God Answers Our Prayers.
"Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."--John 16:24, NKJV

PRAY, BELIEVE, REJOICE.  Sing praises to God because He has answered your prayers.  Take Him at His word.  "He is faithful that promised."  Hebrews 10:23.  Not one sincere supplication is lost.  The channel is open; the stream is flowing.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, 274.

The Lord has been waiting long to impart the greatest, truest joys to the heart.  All those who look to Him with undivided hearts, He will greatly bless.  Those who have thus looked to Him have caught more distinct views of Jesus as their sin bearer, their all-sufficient sacrifice, and have been hid in the cleft of the Rock, to behold the Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the world.--Councils to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 369.

The gifts of Him who has all power in heaven and earth are in store for the children of God.  Gifts so precious that they come to us through the costly sacrifice of the Redeemer's blood; gifts that will satisfy the deepest craving of the heart, gifts lasting as eternity, will be received and enjoyed by all who will come to God as little children.  Take God's promises as your own, plead them before Him as His own words, and you will receive fullness of joy.--Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 133.

                            Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
                                                 for He who promised is faithful.
                              
                                                             --Hebrews 10:23, NKJV

March 5:  Joy to the World.

Truly Happy.
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.  May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name!--Psalm 97:11, 12, NLT

IT IS NOT WEALTH or intellect that gives happiness; it is true moral worth and a sense of duty performed.  You may have the overcomer's reward and stand before the throne of Christ to sing His praises in the day when He assembles His saints; but your robes must be cleansed in the blood of the Lamb, and charity must cover you as a garment, and you be found spotless and without blemish.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 125.

"For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."  Those who have an experimental knowledge of this scripture are truly happy.  They consider the approbation of Heaven of more worth than any earthly amusement; Christ in them the hope of glory will be health to the body and strength to the soul.--Testimonies for he Church, vol. 1, 566.

                        God has given me the responsibility of...proclaiming his entire message to you.
                            This message was kept secret for centuries..., but now it has been revealed
                        to God's people.  For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ
                                are for you Gentiles, too.  And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.
                                                 This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
                              
                                                                      --Colossians 1:25-27, NLT