Continual Joy & Gladness
” Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
*Life is about choices and if you chose to live in the will of God you have to walk in thanksgiving.
*Everyone has a choice: Gratitude even in sorrow or struggle or A lack of gratitude while being blessed.
Lord, please show me any hidden areas in my life today that need to be cleansed and healed. Set me free with a clean, pure heart filled to overflowing with your Agape Love.
* “Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”
Psalm 19:12-13
* “…and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:2
God desires that we be so convinced of His tender love, so persuaded He is at
work bringing us into HIS best, that we will have continual joy and gladness in
our walk with Him!
Moses warned Israel, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of all things” (Deuteronomy28:47-48).
God is saying to us today, “Be glad and rejoice in what I have already Done
for you!
*It is the will of God that we Serve Him with full of joy and gladness.
If you go around moping, murmuring and complaining, you will forever
be spiritually starved and naked, a prey to your enemies!”
God wants us to so trust in His love for us that we will be testimonies of gladness and good cheer!
*He wants believers who are glad at heart, filled with a gladness that is based on truth.
*His truth produces a wealth of gladness that flows naturally outward from the heart:
*“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing”. (Psalm 100:2).
*Serving God results in freedom, peace and joy. Serving the enemy results in emptiness and slavery.
* “He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness” (Psalm 105:43).
*“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you
righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11).
*“Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them
rejoice exceedingly” (Psalm 68:3).
You may ask, “How long can I expect to maintain joy in my service to the
Lord?”
Many believe that it lasts only as long as seasons of refreshing come from on high or as long as things go right.
*** No, we are to have joy at all
times!
That is exactly what the Bible says: “Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad ALL our days!” (Psalm 90:14).
“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy” (Isaiah 65:18).
We are “the Jerusalem from above”—reborn and living for Him with a spirit of gladness and rejoicing! Trust the Father, believe His Word about Himself, and see His gladness pour forth from your life.
Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction:
1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and
2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.
*God does not waste our afflictions if we allow HIM the freedom to complete the work in us.
*His desire is to create virtue that remains during the times of testing so that He can bring us into the place of fruitfulness in the very area of our testing.
*He has never promised to keep us from entering the valleys of testing, but He has promised to make us fruitful in them.
*He is the God who turns the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope (see Hos. 2:15).
If you are in the valley of affliction, now is the time to press into Him. When the time comes to bring you out of this valley, He will heal your memories and bring fruit from this very time.
Refuse to allow yourself to get weary while standing in faith, in prayer, or in warfare. Seek the Lord and go into His presence where you can be refreshed and renewed. This is no time to get discouraged. Don’t give up! You are at the point of a significant breakthrough if you will just continue to fight through the opposition. Be strong and resolute and be continually Joyful .
**Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Lord, help me to fully appreciate who You are and to trust you when Your love is evident as well as when Your wrath is prevalent. I pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of holiness may be seen in our conduct. Give me good times – Give me much joy even in midst of Pain- Show me that you are real in the midst of Troubles– Show me that you haven’t forgotten me for I know Your Love endures Forever! Thank you Jesus for giving us FAITH. Amen