Tag: joy

“This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

So there it was.

That lagging feeling, that depressing aura, that gray cloud that floated above my head was my lack of joy and gladness in my thanksgiving.

I wanted joy from God, but did not first bring my thanks to Him with joy. Since I did not bring that joy with my thanksgiving to His courts, I did not have openness to receive more joy!

Often times we diligently bring our thanks and praises to God for His goodness and mercy, but we forget to bring them with gladness in our hearts.

If you observe the image above, the child is beaming with gladness.

Friend, I believe this is what we ought to present to our heavenly Father when we come before Him no matter what!

And I know that deceitful enemy is already whispering in your ear that it is not possible to ALWAYS be glad before God. But please be reminded that our Sovereign God is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. Remember God’s goodness and mercy. Remember when He pulled you out of that hole you dug yourself into. Remember how much He favors you because of His love for you. How can these alone not make you beam with gladness to be serving a faithful God?!!!

It is all too easy for us to come before God with a grumbling voice about what blessing we are yet to receive. But what about the ones you are basking in right now?!

Have you forgotten the goodness of God?!

Like the Israelites while in the wilderness, have you forgotten how far God has brought you from where you used to be?!!!

Friend, how sincere is your thanksgiving if there is no gladness or joy in it? How is God to accept a sacrifice of praise if your heart has with-held the joy that should also be placed alongside your offering of praise?!

Give thanks with joy AND gladness. Rejoice in the joy of today even if the worries of yesterday don’t feel far enough. God sees all that you harbor in your heart. HE IS A GOOD GOD and faithfully provides all that you need when you need it.

So if you don’t have it, YOU DO NOT NEED IT to do what God has for you to do.

I urge you today friend to bring your thanks to God with joy so you can receive more joy.

I pray that our minds are renewed today with the wisdom of heaven to give what is due to a sovereign and merciful Father who is working all things together for our good in Jesus name. Amen.

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

Psalm 100:2

The joy of the Lord is indeed my strength. I reached a new understanding of that today.

When I woke up this morning, I met the Lord with thanksgiving, as I have tried to discipline this practice into my everyday life. But I did something a little different today. Rather than turning on my worship music to lift up my spirits, I longed for silence.

Surely, I was thankful to God for yet another day, but in truth, I was also still overwhelmed from last night’s heavy thoughts.

The first two hours went by and I still felt a sluggishness I could not quite explain. Sure I had a slight cramp in my neck from my sleeping position, but it should not have been enough to have me this slow in my movements and steps.

I felt tired, weary even. My spirit felt repressed and it reflected on my physical.

It was when I laid down once again after eating, that I heard the Voice of my inner man say, “don’t sleep.”

I laid there still and perverse thoughts made their way into my mind. So I sat up.

WHAT IN THE WORD WAS GOING ON?!

This is the last leg before yet another chapter since I began my walk of radical faith with the Lord. I wanted to be full of excitement and expectation but I truly was not because of the pressing conflicts in front of me.

In a sum, I have more bills than money, as it has been since I left my job in January on God’s orders.

It is now June and as the final numbers appear declaring what I owe, I am overwhelmed with the ‘How?”…”How will this be taken care of again?”…then I remembered…

Jehovah Jireh is God my provider.”

He has been providing and He will not with-hold His mercy this time around. So that alone brings praise to my mouth.

I am thankful. I have been thankful since I heard God call me out of my filth for His own purpose early last year. But today,

I heard the spirit asking, “Have you kept the joy in your praise and thanksgiving?… Have you come before the Lord with joyful songs today and not just words of gratitude?” FINISH READING HERE