The Joy of the Lord

Is it really possible to be happy all of the time? It is my experience that the answer is "No." However, it is possible to rejoice in the Lord always and to maintain a positive attitude (Philippians 4:4,8).

The key words here are "in the Lord." God makes everything right, no matter how jaded or off kilter they are. Through the lens of eternity, with a spiritual mind and in the presence of God, we see everything differently.

We enjoy a Heavenly focus and can truly rejoice regardless of our negative circumstances. Even when all odds are against us and there is nothing positive to rejoice over, we know that everything will work out for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11).

When we feel anxiety rise up in our soul, we can immediately take it to the Lord in prayer, giving thanks for what He has already provided and knowing that His blessings are just around the corner (Philippians 4:5-6).

God's peace guides us through the troubled waters and rocky mountain paths, making our ways straight (Philippians 4:7; Psalm 27:11). Even when the circumstances make no human sense, God floods us with His peace.

We struggle with feelings for which we are responsible. We worry for our well-being and that of our children and family. The truth, however, is that God will take responsibility to provide us with all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

He gives us wisdom on what to do each moment of the day and he guides us through uncharted waters and tumultuous seas to the safe harbor of His love.

Prayer:

Father God, our light and temporary affliction on this earth cannot be compared to the glory, which You already prepared for us in Your glorious Kingdom (2 Corinthians 4:17). We stop attempting to keep our self safe, and we trust our self, our loved ones and our church family to Your safe-keeping.

We know without a doubt that You care about us, so we put our worries in Your capable hands. You equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We rejoice in our risen Savior and sit with Him at Your right hand even now (Hebrews 10:12).

Thought for the Day:

We trust in God's plan for our future and bathe all of our requests to Him with gratitude and joy.

The Joy of Abiding

Paul told us to count trials as a joyous occasion, but he did not say to be happy that we are suffering (James 1:2-8). When we patiently submit to God’s will in our trials, however, and allow Him to replace our negative human characteristics with the fruit of His Spirit, then we see His intended outcome from our trials (1 Thessalonians 5:18). When we abide in the shelter of God’s wings, we rejoice in the Lord’s perfecting work in our life (Psalm 91:4; Philippians 4:4).

As we rejoice in the Lord, we will not stress about the problems, or strain over the issues we face. We will remain in the peace of God, which transcends all human understanding (Philippians 4:7). Our absorption in the joy of the Lord will eradicate much of the suffering of our trials. We actually grow closer to God through each test, because He sustains us through them all and increases our compassion for fellow sufferers.

Trials draw us closer to the triune God within us. We count it all joy to be worthy to be included in the ranks of those who suffer for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Like Paul and Silas, we will sing God’s praises through them (Acts 16:16-40). The God of creation, the God of salvation, the God of eternity dwells within our spirit and affects our righteousness, peace and joy as we abide in Him through our suffering (Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:25).

When we see God’s hand of salvation through our trials, we gain more trust in His faithfulness and love. As we spend time alone with God, we start to listen to His still, small voice and walk in His Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 1 Kings 19:11-13). This reduces the number of lessons, which we have to learn the hard way. The more we learn from each particular trial, the fewer trials we will have to endure in the future. We learn to abide in our tower of strength, our Rock and our refuge, especially in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Prayer:

Father God, if we look anywhere but to You in times of trouble, we will end up completely disappointed. If we trust in our own resources in times of difficulty, we are doomed to discontentment and despair. It often takes You longer to deliver us from the negative circumstances in our life than we expect or desire; however, the closer we walk with You through them, the quicker we learn our lessons, the sooner Your work is done in our soul – our thoughts, choices and emotions – and the closer we grow in our union with You. Thank You for being our God in the valleys, as well as on the mountaintop (Psalm 23).

Thought for the Day:

It is so much better to trust in the Lord than to put our confidence in people, places and things. - Micah 7:5; Psalm 118:5,8

 

 

Amazing Paradoxes

It is amazing to see what happens when we praise God regardless of our circumstances. Listening to music or singing in our mind can change the most depressing moment into a time of joy. Praising the Lord in our car, at home, at work, in the grocery store and in our quiet times will change our attitude quicker than any other pursuit. Praising puts a smile on our face and a spring in our step! People are drawn to those who are full of the joy of the Lord.

The amazing paradox is that living a life of praise will change everything for us. We can sing our way out of depression and into the courts of our God (Psalm 100). As we look for God’s will in our life, work, exercise, church encounters, volunteerism and hanging out with our friends, He turns everything into a time of ministry for Him, as well as a source of joy for us. We wait on the Lord and move only and always as His Spirit directs us.

If you are home alone, and you start to feel lonely, either get out of the house and work in the yard, or serve a friend or family member, or spend time growing deeper in God. When you feel lonely, put on your praise music and sing at the top of your lungs in worship to God, dance around as you dust, bake a cake and take it to a neighbor, go to the homeless shelter and help out any way you can, or go grocery shopping for an elderly person. Just listen to God’s Spirit and He will direct you.

God has a plan for our good now and in the future. Rejoicing in the Lord one moment at a time keeps our negative thoughts under God’s control (Philippians 4:8). However, we can praise Him even for the negative aspects in our life, because He has a plan for us even in them. Praising God will put Satan in his place and let God work in our behalf. We will feel better, once we stop allowing negative satanic fears, anxieties and desires to torture us. It is a human characteristic to worry about the future, but God has everything in His control (Jeremiah 29:11).

God cares for us even more than for the sparrows and lillies, and He tells us not to be anxious about anything (Matthew 6:19-34). If you praise God for what you have, even the bad things, knowing that God has a plan in it for you, then He will give you everything you need to live victoriously. As we seek the Lord first and fulfill His purpose for us in His Kingdom, then we can rest assured that He will supply all of our needs according to His glorious riches through Christ Jesus who lives within us (Philippians 4:19).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that we cannot control anything about life. Allowing feelings of unhappiness and loneliness to disturb our peace and the joy in our soul is not trusting in You. It is focusing on what we do not have instead of what we do have. If we spend intimate times with You, Lord, through every waking moment, then we will not be unhappy, because You are our ultimate hope, rest, joy and peace. We are only unhappy and lonely when we think more about temporal things than we do about spending our eternal glory with You.

Thought for the Day:

If God’s will does not include what you want, then you do not want to have it, because you will be out of His will.