Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS... Devotion

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Many days we find ourselves going through some kind of trial or some kind of situation that temps our flesh to get frustrated and upset or stressed out.

In James 1:2...James encourages us to be joyful about trials and temptations, because they will produce endurance, steadfastness and patience (vs. 3). I used to wonder how in the world can I be joyful in this situation, when everything in my flesh is frustrated and wanting to scream.

James goes on to say...But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
James 1:4‭-‬6 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/jas.1.4-6.AMPC

It takes patience and lots of practice to be able to allow endurance and steadfastness to become a reality in our lives. We have to choose to submit to God's ways of peace and joy (rejoicing) in order to achieve what God has spoken through James. And if we don't know how to put God's Word/will into practice, James also says that all we have to do is ask for wisdom. Glory to God! He makes it so simple for us doesn't He?
In the past month, God has been teaching me about the Joy of faith. The ability to rejoice in the midst of things that make my flesh tempted to be frustrated. The key to being able to rejoice is to think (meditate) or re-focus our minds upon God's ability to get us through any situation, (for the frustration is just us meditating on doubt and the lies that the enemy has put into our minds)..God's ability to change things to line them up with His Word. We must be fully persuaded like our father in the faith Abraham.

I have found that if I find a reason to rejoice (ie.. health, my name is written in the lambs book of life, or He's preparing a mansion for me in heaven Just to name a few) ..... sing praises to God, thanking Him for keeping me healthy, and for being my provider... my all in all (https:// youtu.be/kAvYSx88ub8)... it will boost my joy and in turn boost my energy level. Our pastor says that the spirit of joy is a quickening, and can bring strength to our physical bodies. Which is also what the Holy Spirit spoke through Nehemiah.....

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I know it's difficult to praise Him or even think about praising Him or being joyful, when what we see in the natural is not what we see in the spiritual or what we are expectantly hoping to come about or even what the Word says. But if we can (singing) "put on the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness, and lift up our voice to God, pray in the Spirit and with understanding, O magnify the Lord"... it can take us to a place of intimacy with the Father that will guarantee to get us out of any funk. The devil knows that praise is the best weapon against depression, and that is why he makes us think it's so silly or not gonna work.

Its best that we use these times to work and develop our spiritual muscles, because we have allowed our spirit man to become weak and sickly looking. To take everything we have learned from the Word of God, and apply it to our lives. To strengthen our spirits and not our flesh (which includes our emotions and feelings)... To make the flesh to submit to the Word, and Jesus' commands, and those commands Whom the Holy Spirit spoke/put forth to/with the apostle Paul and those who have written books of the new testament.

So how does one make the flesh submit or line up with what the Word says? What does it mean to make the flesh submit? This one took me a long time to learn.. the how puzzled me and it was difficult for me to grasp. But in all honesty, we have to make the choice to override our feelings and emotions, and make them copy what God's Word says. Let's use Philippians 4:1 as an example. The Apostle Paul said "rejoice in the Lord always, and again i say rejoice." So if we are going to put this into practice... everytime we "feel" Sad or frustrated or mad or upset.. We have to begin singing a tune that praises God. Or we go make faces at the person in the mirror, or we throw our head back and laugh for no reason.

Also think about putting on a funny movie. Find a way to turn your emotions and feelings around. And do like we would with a toddler... refocus our attention or thinking to something that is uplifting and full of peace like in Phililpians 4:8....Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Another good thing is to find all those scriptures that remind us of how dependable and good God is, all the Scriptures that are a promise. And meditate on them, filling and renewing our minds to what God's will/ways are. So that as we think like God we will get God's results.

Even king David had to put this principle into practice...In ps 103... when he was depressed, he had to remind himself to praise the Lord. He made the choice to tell himself to bless the Lord O my soul (mind, will and emotions), and all that is within me bless His Holy name.

We all go through times when we "feel" stuck, and that is the best time to praise God for what is coming, and what He is doing to change us and our situations. Finding His promises in His Word that tells us that He is constantly at work, to minister on our behalf. And Praising God for those promises and His faithfulness and ability (if we trust and believe Him) to come to pass.

One Scriptire that comes to mind is Isaiah 55: 10-11....
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

And Hebrews 1:14....
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

God didn't bring these trials to us, but He can strengthen us and bring us to a higher level in Him When we focus on praising Him for all the good things, and His promises.

It's important to not allow ourselves to focus on what's going on with things that we cannot control. If we constantly keep our minds focused on the Lord, we will be much more at peace. This means taking all the thoughts about what you cannot do captive... refusing to think about them and substitute them with thoughts about God, or a specific Scripture, or praise to Him, about Him.

It's also important to not rely on our feelings in these moments, or on what the facts of our reality are. Its time to get some Abraham Faith. Being fully persuaded that God is able to, and desires us to live healed, whole and prosperous in every area. It's part of the definition of salvation.

Try focusing on these verses....

He personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/1pe.2.24.AMPC

He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. [Matt. 8:17.] But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
Isaiah 53:3‭-‬5 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/isa.53.3-5.AMPC

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. [Heb. 12:1-3.]
Isaiah 40:31 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/isa.40.31.AMPC

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous–with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
Matthew 5:3 AMPC
http://bible.com/8/mat.5.3.AMPC

In looking up the Word Salvation in the old testament and the new... Here is what we find:

Strong's Definition of salvation in the greek (new testament): Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.

Hebrew meaning.....
H3444
Original: ישׁוּעה
Transliteration: yeshû‛âh
Phonetic: yesh-oo'-aw
BDB Definition
:
  1. salvation, deliverance
    1. welfare, prosperity
    2. deliverance
    3. salvation (by God)
    4. victory
Origin: passive participle of H3467
TWOT entry: 929b
Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine
Strong's Definition: Feminine passive participle of H3467; something saved, that is, (abstractly) deliverance ; hence aid, victory, prosperity: - deliverance, health, help (-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare.

As the apostle Paul says..... rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice (Philippians 4:1)

God Bless you all with an abundance of grace and peace!
Cturtle
 
AMEN....Wonderful post and was most definitely food for my spirit. God knew I needed this.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I know He is working this thing out for me.
 
AMEN....Wonderful post and was most definitely food for my spirit. God knew I needed this.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I know He is working this thing out for me.

Isn't God's timing great!
He and I have been working in this for about a week :) today I felt the go ahead to finish it.

Yea God! Go God!
 
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