The Joy of the Lord
When we lived in Houston, Texas, I used to listen to a radio talk show as I drove around to the hospitals and different places. The host always signed off of the air by saying, "Don't let anyone steal your joy." I don't know if he was a Christian, but he really had something. Nehemiah tells us that, "The joy of the Lord is our strength." Without joy we are weak and unable to accomplish God's will. It is very important for all of us to never let Satan do anything to cause us to lose our joy. He will try, but we don't have to give in to Him.
I know it sounds trite, but it is true that we need to stop and count our blessings, when we are tempted to be discouraged. We need to ask God to show us His reality, not the picture Satan wants to paint for us. Then, God can open our eyes to how He has been working around us and in us all of the time. I know that this week God has sent several people to encourage me, and He has shown me His will about several things about which I have been praying. It is when I stop to see those things that the joy of the Lord takes over. I pray that each of you know the joy of the Lord and that you will never lose it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 25-26 and Luke 12:32-59.
I know it sounds trite, but it is true that we need to stop and count our blessings, when we are tempted to be discouraged. We need to ask God to show us His reality, not the picture Satan wants to paint for us. Then, God can open our eyes to how He has been working around us and in us all of the time. I know that this week God has sent several people to encourage me, and He has shown me His will about several things about which I have been praying. It is when I stop to see those things that the joy of the Lord takes over. I pray that each of you know the joy of the Lord and that you will never lose it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 25-26 and Luke 12:32-59.