Wednesday, January 2, 2008 – Fragrant Joy
The Word: Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice (Phil 4:4).
Prayerful Contemplation: That word, “always”… it dispels any excuse I may have to dwell on, marvel at, praise about, anything but the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do I react when faced with bad news, with a situation I’d rather change but about which I must wait? What do I say when everyone around me is fearful? Should I join in the crowd, dwelling on my circumstances, or hold on to faith, remembering God’s impeccable track record?
Because the Lord is a Shelter in a time of storm, Christians are the fragrance of this dreary earthly life. Nothing we do should be done with a heavy heart, because our message, our story, our very being, is all about hope. What we revere, we focus on and this is why it is important to constantly have our minds stayed in Christ.
Our souls must rise above the evils of the times to the mountain of prayer, where, in the presence of the Lord, we will not help but wonder how we ever cared for the things of this world. In the presence of Jesus, it is very hard to think thoughts of defeat and failure. When we understand that God is in control, we find it impossible to panic, for where love is, there is no fear, and the Lord sitteth upon the flood (Psalm 29:10).
While the rest of the world is chained to their sorrows, we as soldiers of Christ have the ability to soar like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). We wait on Christ alone, and not on horses, chariots, princes, gold or silver, to renew our strength. The moment we acknowledge that it is not in our own strength that we are able to do anything, we scale great heights, leaving the desires and inclinations of the flesh behind, knowing that though a thousand fall by our side, and ten thousand on our right hand, it shall not come nigh us (Psalm 91:7).
Practical Application: Things will not always go exactly the way I want them to. In fact, many times, I will not like what is going on around me. An unpleasant situation is nothing short of an opportunity to praise the Lord and see Him work on behalf of His children. Today, I will try to praise God whether things go my way or not. I will try to rejoice in the Lord always. And I will seek God about making joy a part of my life, so that I can be a fragrance in a stormy world, and have a chance to lead people to Christ, because it is likely that they will wonder at my joy and ask, “Pray tell, whence do you get this joy in such turmoil?”
Memory verse: Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.(Psalm 33:1).
Prayer: Lord, keep my mind stayed on You, and comfort me with Your perfect peace. No matter where I am, or what I do, let me have a perpetual praise in my heart. Let me never give in to the temptation to complain, or worry, or wonder excessively at the goings-on around me. Help me to understand that You are in control. May I be faithful to obey Paul’s exhortation to rejoice in you always and again. In Jesus’ Name I humbly pray.
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