Choosing Joy

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Ever had one of those days?  You know the kind I am talking about.  The ones that are a truly "Murphy's Law" kind of a day.  From the moment you get up, the snowball starts rolling down the side of the mountain.  Everything you touch seems to fall apart.  And if that were not enough to try to handle, the constant interruptions and the "rearranging" of your schedule seems endless.  Then there are the feelings of not getting anything accomplished, and the realization that you are just "spinning your wheels."  I had one of those days last week. 

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ I was well aware that the Spirit was with me, residing in me with all kinds of power for me to overcome this day  in spite of how it was unfolding.  My Bible was available to me to be my moment-to-moment guide book for navigating through this already unsettling day.  But I soon learned as I sat down to read my devotional that both the Spirit and the Word would be useless to me unless I surrendered my "right"  to experience my feelings in full bloom, repented of them, and turned to face my God, bowing in His presence.  It would be in that posture alone that I could choose the joy of the Lord, the only strength I needed for my discombobulated day.

These are the words that the Spirit spoke to me in the midst of the waves that continued to sweep over me:

"This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep . . . Go your way.  Eat the fat and drink sweet wine . . . for this day is holy to our Lord.  And do not be grieved, FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!"  (Nehemiah 8:10)

When I read those words a smile lit on my face, for in them I could see what my solution to my day would be.  If I would crucify my irritated flesh and surrender my right to be "grieved" by my day and to moan and complain about how much seemed to be going wrong, I would be able to celebrate in the day with joy.  Realizing my marching orders, I chose to receive the command to go and "eat and drink,"  the command to just continue through the day with a different attitude.

No matter what our days hold we will always have a choice in how we walk through them.  Frustration can become joyfulness; busy-ness can become joyfulness; being overwhelmed can become joyfulness.  Even sadness and mourning can become joy.  And when you choose joy, your inner man is strengthened.  Out of our inner being will flow rivers of joy, contagious joy, that will minister to those around you.  And through our emotional transformation from upset to joyfulness we will be strengthened with enough might to overcome even the hardest of days. 

Choose joy!  It will reverse the effects that a bad day can have on you and those around you!

Take Courage!

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"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." These words of Moses were for his nation as they entered the Promised Land. Are you fearful today of what lies in front of you? What is making you tremble? God is with you, friend! Cling to Him as you walk in His strength that is found deep inside of you!

Israel had another journey ahead of them.  Their very near future included crossing the Jordan River.  It was separating them from the Promised Land.  But to cross it would be difficult, since it would be overflowing its banks due to the spring rains.  Once they crossed over, there would be many obstacles to overcome, not the least of which were all of the towns and cities they were commanded to dispossess.  Indeed, the road ahead of them was likely overwhelming.  God knew just what they needed.  A shot of courage!  Enter Moses, who speaks those encouraging words to them.

We have to learn the same things that Israel surely learned.  It is not enough for someone to say, "Be courageous."  It is not enough for us to pray for courage.  Courage doesn't just come to us like "magic fairy dust."  Instead, strength and courage, like love, and patience, and joy, are elements of the Christian life that can be prayed for over and over again, with no result.  Why?  Because we already have the very thing we are praying for!  God, who dwells within every believer in the form of the Holy Spirit, is our "promise."  The Holy Spirit is fully God.  The very power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in our hearts.  When we pray for courage, He must surely be saying, "Here I am!  Surrender to Me, and I will take over!"

God doesn't necessarily want to make us bold and fearless.  He wants us to, in our weakness, surrender to Him so that He can be our strength.  Do you see the difference.  So often we are trying to attain to the place we think we ought to be.  We try and try and try again, yet never really achieving the goal.  We do not succeed because self-works were never intended to be the way of walking in strength and victory with an overcomer's mentality.  We become strong overcomer's of the difficulties in front of us by surrendering to the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.  He overcomes only as we allow Him to walk out boldness and courage through us.  

It doesn't matter what your difficult circumstances are today.  Whatever they may be, you can get through it because God will never leave you nor forsake you.  You can get through, as well, by laying down your right to walk yourself through on your own!  Surrender is the key to a victorious life.  So once again let me ask these two questions:  Are you fearful today of what lies in front of you? What is making you tremble? God is with you, friend!  Inside of you!  Surrender to Him and cling to Him as you allow Him to walk in His strength!  Let your heart take courage!