Joy Of The Lord Is Our Strength

We may face many sorrows in life. To have the joy from the Lord which we can receive by spending time in presence of God. When we pray, sing hymns, read Bible or good Christian books daily, we receive joy from God. Then, when we face sorrow of the world, the joy will overcome sorrow the enemy brings. That is why it is written in Nehemiah 8:10, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. As you give thanks and magnify God’s presence in your life, His grace and power go to work on your behalf!

Know That God Will Help You Come Out Of Trouble

When we face various sorrows, we think this will bring an end to our future. During the waiting time we face various temptations by the devil. If you read Mathew 4:1-10, we see that Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days. But Jesus overcame devil’s attacks with word of God. So, we can overcome temptations when we believe and confess word of God.

a) Know that there is way of escape: If we read, 1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

b) Know this trouble will not destroy you: Isaiah 17:13, though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm. In Psalm 46:5, God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.

c) Know there is date of your deliverance has been determined by God, though you never know it: In Mathew 4:11, we see devil left Jesus, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. You know why, in Colossians 2:15, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Jesus has won victory for us on the cross. If you look at, 1 John 4:17, it is written, we live like Jesus here in this world. Jesus is victorious. When we believe Jesus, we too have the victory.

Know Word Of God

Have you tasted honey? I am sure you all have. Just imagine having a spoon of honey, our mouth is filled with sweet taste. In Psalm 34:8, it is written taste and see that the LORD is good. In the same way, when you open and read the bible you will receive gifts from God such as peace, joy, healing and strength. Also, there is no other way to know God except by the word of God. We don't read to gain intellectual knowledge. We should read the word of God to know Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God and has made Father God known to us by the works He has done (Colossians 1:15; John 1:18 & John 5:19).

Be Comforted In God

 

Are you sorrowful in life just as the fishermen on banks of Egypt? The fishermen also will mourn; all those will lament who cast hooks into the River, and they will languish who spread nets on the waters (Isaiah 19:8). Those who are mourning, lamenting or in sorrow, bible has a beautiful promise for us. Blessed are those are who are mourning, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Blessed means spoken well of, to be praised or to make happy. Good part is we shall be comforted. Comforted means exhorted or encouraged which makes our pain bearable. How will we be comforted? According to 2 Corinthians 1: 3- 4),  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. We receive the strength, encouragement and hope from God to deal with our troubles. Not only that, we cannot bring divine deliverance from affliction to another, but it is possible to share with others the encouragement we received from the Lord. In the book of Job, we read Job lost his family, health and possessions. The Lord restored Job’s losses not only that the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Finally, we see Job was comforted for all the adversity. All his sorrow was turned to joy. Let us read, John 16: 22, therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. Take courage, you too will be comforted by the Lord as Job.

God's Plan For Your Life

 

We see in Isaiah 14: 23, 27 it is written, The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand…For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? Then we can read in Jeremiah 29:11-14, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Also, in Ephesians 2: 10,  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God has purpose prepared for you before the foundation of the word. God desires that we walk in them. Even enemy has plan for us, he may come against you, but he can't defeat you unless you let him!  We have to keep believing and saying that God’s plan will prevail in my life and not the plan of the enemy. We can see, during the birth of Jesus. Joseph was warned in a dream to take Mary and Child Jesus to Egypt. Herod was furious, when he realized the wise man outwitted him. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem. He could not harm Jesus. Herod was king by a human appointment. Jesus was King by a divine appointment. No one can thwart God’s plans for you as you are the child of the living God. If you look at, 1 John 4:17, it is written, we live like Jesus here in this world.Romans 8:14, when we believe we are led by Holy Spirit who makes us walk according to His plan. Let us learn to walk in guidance and obedience and submission to Him.

Forgiveness

 

 In Acts 6 and 7 we read the story of Stephen who was called before the Jewish council and falsely accused of blaspheming God and Moses by preaching the Gospel. After he had delivered a sermon that angered the council, he was taken out and stoned. But even as they were stoning him, Stephen prayed for his enemies, saying, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit! And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! (Acts 7:59,60). We would have been tempted to pick up a rock and throw it back. But that is not what Stephen did. He forgave his tormentors and prayed for them, saying in essence, "Forgive them, Lord, they don't understand what they are doing." A large majority of the time those who injure us don't understand what they are doing. They are just operating out of selfishness. God does not want us to have an offended heart. It is easy for us to be offended. But according to the Bible love is not easily offended.

Emotions

We all have emotions, but we must learn to manage them. Emotions can be positive or negative. They can make us feel wonderful or awful. They are a central part of being human, and that is fine. Unfortunately, most people do what they feel like doing, say what they feel like saying, buy what they feel like buying, and eat what they feel like eating. And that is not fine, because feelings are not wisdom. Feelings are fickle; they change frequently and without notification. Since feelings are unreliable, we must not direct our lives according to how we feel. You can be aware of your feelings and acknowledge their legitimacy without necessarily acting on them. God has given us wisdom, and we should walk in it, not our emotions. Healthy emotions are very important. They help us recognize how we truly feel and what we value. But a good life also means being able to manage our emotions and not be managed by them. Negative emotions such as anger, unforgiveness, worry, anxiety, fear, resentment, and bitterness cause many physical illnesses by raising our stress levels.Thank God we no longer have to be like “most people.” God doesn’t want anyone to be a slave to their feelings. Trust God to help you learn to manage your emotions so they don’t manage you.