Tag Archives: royal priesthood

This is the Day that the Lord has made? Really?

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Sometimes, this is how I feel about this verse:
(apologies to Prince William and Lady Kate!)

This is the Day(at the Royal Wedding)

I feel like I sing it slow, without meaning, without passion.
Why?
Because sometimes I wake up in pain.
Sometimes, I wake up to issues.
Sometimes, I don’t want to wake up! I want to roll over and go back to sleep.

What does it mean “This is the Day the Lord has made?”

I believe that it goes back to:

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

AND:

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Do I believe this?

Yes I do.
Does it make my heart jump up and down with joy for the new day?
Honestly, not always.
Why not?
Honestly, I don’t always think about it – I take it for granted!
Why do I take it for granted:
It is part of my faith being, part of who I am as a Christian, it is a core belief that cannot be shaken.
If I believe it, why don’t I choose it? And, why does it matter?
What do I say I believe?

This is what I believe – what I confess – in a nutshell.

The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

As I said – this is woven into the fiber of my faith – without it, my faith foundation falls!

1 Corinthans 3:11
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Why does it matter?
Because Jesus said it does – believing is crucial!

John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Faith is crucial:

Heb 11:1-3
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Why does it matter?

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

But – Why does this matter?
Because it is WHO I AM!
I am a Christian.
I am a “little Christ”
I am Christ with a little i!

When everything is stripped away from me – what is left?
I belong to Jesus.
I have been delivered from darkness into light.
I have been chosen.
I have been adopted into the Family of God.
My desire is:
In Him I live, and move and have my being!(Acts 17:28)

In one of the most honored sermons of Jesus, he says this:

Matt 5:11-12
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

James says it this way:

James 1:2
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

And I wrote about the James 1:2-4 experience!

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Because I have a destiny:

Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Because I belong to God, bought with a price:

1 Cor 6:19-20
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Why does it matter?
Because there is a reason I was created:

Eph 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Why does this matter?
Because I am all I have to give to God.

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Why does it matter?
Because I’ve been given gifts, and I should be a good steward!

Romans 11:29
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance

1Peter 4:10
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
(1 Cor 12:4, Romans 12:6, Eph 4:7

Why does it matter?
Because I am not to hide my light!

Matt 5:15-16
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Because My God says He has a plan for me.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

And why does it matter?
Because I believe!

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

The point is, no matter what is going on – the One I believe in – the One I believe created the world – for that matter – the one that created me says to rejoice!

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

And when I really, truly meditate on what that means – this is the song that I sing!

The Answer to my question – yes, really.
THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE!
I must CHOOSE to rejoice!

Why is it a choice? Why is it a command to REJOICE or COUNT IT ALL JOY?
Because Faith is not stagnant – we have to choose.

I choose joy!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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Spiritual Walking – Day 3 – PAIN!

After my walk yesterday, and some working around the apartment and such, I had a HUGE PAIN in my left foot.

I was limping…badly.

My WALK was affected – in many ways!

I was having trouble remembering that my mouth is not connected to my foot! Nor do I want my foot in my mouth!
I was having trouble moving from point A to point B. I wanted to just sit, lay, stop and stay – but I wasn’t really wanting to pray.
God’s grace comes to those who ASK – and as we sat with friends, I WAS ASKING so as not to harm anyone with my mouth.
sometimes, God wants you to sit, stay and pray – and we don’t listen so good!
We can’t do this alone…not even Me & Jesus…we are in a fellowship – fellows in a ship! And I needed some ‘fellas’ to help me out in many ways…and in this blog, I am going to give several shout outs to the fellas(and sistas) that have helped me out today!

This morning, I awoke, and I still could not put weight on this foot…and I was having an inner argument with God.

“I do not need this now, Lord!”

SILENCE

“I know You know what is best for me Lord – I mean, I do not WANT this now, Lord!”

SILENCE

“I am afraid of going through another round of foot surgeries, Lord, and I don’t think I can handle it on top of everything else that is going on”

SHOUT OUT TO MY HUSBAND, JIM!

My husband was praying – and he said “I pray that you will go back to bed for a nap, and wake up, and the pain will be gone, and the bump will be gone or much smaller.”

I had just confessed to him that I was trying to keep my tongue from evil…

Ps 34:13 Keep MY tongue from evil, and MY lips from speaking guile.

Ps 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

I didn’t believe…but I confessed that I would trust in the Lord. I apologized each time I snapped…and I reminded myself, just because I’ve confessed I’m having trouble with my tongue, doesn’t mean I need to abuse his grace by letting my tongue fly!

Then, verses came up on Face book:

SHOUT OUTS TO MY ONLINE ENCOURAGERS!

From Jim Wildman’s FB page:

Gods standards have not changed. If we want to abide, we must walk His way.
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. http://bible.us/Ps15.1.KJV

From Larry T Crafter’s FB page:

No one enjoys having to wait..but as a friend of mine loves to remind me; ” Be Still and know that I Am God!” Waiting teaches us patience and allows us to see God’s plan unfold. As we wait, we learn acceptance, steadfastness and faith that God is in control! When the cloud tarried… then the children of Israel… journeyed not” (Num. 9:19). I will stand still until God’s will is clear!
Blessings

And this prayer ring from Cheryl Miller’s FB page:

Family I need God to do something for me, and I’m pretty sure many of you need him to do something for you as well. So just for today, how about you pray for my breakthrough and I will pray for yours…family lets move heaven today with our prayers. The word of God clearly states, where 2 or 3 come together in my name I am there, (Matthew 18:20) so come on family lets get down on our knees and move heaven today.

Then, this appreciation note from AntoinitaViolette on FB:

Today is your appreciation day, not the only one…but, just wanted to tell you that you have been an encouragement to me. Thank God for you, and thank you for saying, Yes! to the Lord…daughter of The Most High and Royal King, making you of the houselHold!Amen!

How was I supposed to continue in this funk, if the Lord is putting words like these together on Facebook, just to hit me in the eyes, and in the heart, and remember HIS WORD?

And I got an email in one of my groups…where a dear lady reminded me that we are all in the same boat:

Well, girlfriends, it sounds like we can all relate!!! Is there something crazy in the air? phases of the moon? unrelenting demands? rogue hormones? Let’s band together in “fellowship”–fellows, or rather females, all in the same boat–and encourage one another! Keep your heads up, eyes on the Prize, resting fully in His promises as we just “do the next *right* thing”!!! ~MT

Another friend sent email – and she really ‘got it’.

Christi – I know you did not need this. I am praying that this would heal quickly or just disappear. ~ Love, CB

This friend, Cathie, even went so far as to ask me, in chat, if I had cried out to God! The honest answer was I’d yelled out, I’d begged out, but did I cry out? I don’t know if my heart was in a right place, but yes..before my nap(per my husband’s instructions) I told the Lord, cried out to the Lord – “I don’t think I can handle this! Please, take it away, or give me the strength to bear it!”

What have I learned?

The Lord can put a watch over my mouth
I have to MOVE toward’s God – because HE didn’t move away from me
I have to CRY OUT to God for HIS help; I have to ASK for help.
I need to wait until I know God’s will, Be Still
I can’t do this by myself. I am in a ship – a fellowship

I don’t know if this is 1 step or 5…but the key is that I did beg out to God…and HE put the words in several people’s mouths and hearts – to encourage me in my walk today!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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Weight Watchers – day 3
100 Spiritual Steps- blog – day 3
Chronological Bible reading…
50 days T-Tapp – AL, OIP, HD- gotta start!

The First 100 days – day 5

I awoke this morning to a call from our daughter in Germany, to see our grandson awake. I got to hear his coos, gurgles and squeaks, and he even listened to my voice.

It was wonderful to get to see him. And his mommy is looking so good, 5 weeks after having a baby.

It’s been rough having a new grandbaby in Germany, and not being able to be there for my daughter while she went through pregnancy, birth, and now new mothering.

When Jacob saw Joseph, after years of thinking he was dead, he almost passed out. (Gen 45:26)

It was rough for Jacob to handle the first child of his most beloved bride Rachel, was dead(Gen 44:27-31). I think he had an idea that the other’s did something(Gen 42:4), but the depression affected the rest of his life.

Joseph was made a slave, then a prisoner…because his brothers didn’t like the dreams God had given Joseph. Maybe Joseph was a bit arrogant – but the boys had other reasons to hate him – he was dad’s favorite!

When Jacob dies, all the other boys come to Joseph and basically, kiss up. Then Joseph lives out what he’s learned over the however many years as a slave in a foreign land: Gen 50:19-21

19: And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for [am] I in the place of God?

Well, yes, actually, he was, sort of. He was the ruler of all of Egypt, and he had all sorts of power. BUT he knew who he was…and now, he is humble.

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive.

The things that were done to Joseph were horrible. Reuben said he’d cried out to his brothers to save him as they handed him over to the Ishmeelites. We know what happens in prisons to young men now, and I’m sure there was a lot of fear. But,

IF the boys had not thrown him in the pit
IF the boys had not sold him to the Ismeelites
IF Potipher’s wife had not accused him
IF the baker and cupholder hadn’t forgotten for two years
THEN Joseph would not have been there to save Jacob’s line!

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

.WE KNOW..why? because of Joseph, because of Abraham, because of Isaac, because of Jonah, because of Nehemiah and Esther and Ruth! WE KNOW because we have their stories. They didn’t have the Bible to read…they only had faith to trust in God. WE HAVE THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD! We are without excuse!

Joseph had changed. He had learned to humble himself. He had learned to forgive. And the fruit of that forgiveness is displayed in what he did next:

Gen 50:21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

I have struggled with God not allowing me to go to Germany to be with my daughter. I have been angry with God for not healing me so that I could travel – to Germany, or to Ethiopia for a mission trip. I have been grumpy.

I am not a slave.
I am not a prisoner.
I am not abused or mistreated.
I may be struggling with a spiritual famine!

James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:14 – 15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Joseph is the perfect example of forgiveness, yes. But he is also the perfect example of getting a right attitude, by looking at circumstances through God’s eyes.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Joseph is considered a type of Christ, and his forgiveness of his brothers is so extreme…it reflects the extreme forgiveness that Christ gives all of us – WHILE WE ARE YET SINNERS!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And the great thing that Christ has done, is

2Cor 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 2:9-10 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

It’s by HIS mercy, that HE orchestrates our lives(the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord), to complete the work He began in us. And all we are to do is to let His light shine in us, and then in turn let that light shine from us to all we meet.

Joseph made a huge impact on his family. Because of Joseph, we have the story of God! Joseph was sacrificed, and then “raised up” to save the remnant of God.

Jesus was sacrificed, and raised up, to save those that choose to believe. He has made a HUGE impact on the family of God!

Forgiving myself, and letting go of my anger at God, accepting the plan He has for my life, allows me to have joy in the skype visits with our grandson. Sacrificing my plans to yield to the Father’s plans, brings peace and contentment to my life. This will have a HUGE impact on my home life, and my mental health!

And I can then sleep in heavenly peace!

May the Lord bless you and Keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace! Num6: 24-26

In His hands and under His wings, watching for His light in my life,

~Christi

100 days of movement – check

100 days of blogging – check

90 days of Bible reading – check(next is Exodus!)

50 days of T-Tapp – check

21 days of Fasting for Food – check

Sunshine and Rain

Sunshine and rain, blue skies and gray, Our God reigns, each and every day!

Ps 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

:8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

This weekend, with our full range of sky experiences, has been glorious.

We arrived in the dark, and when you are near the gulf, and away from all lights, it is DARK! As we drove, the sky was cloudy, so there were not any stars or moon as well. We walked out to the dunes to look at the waves, and as we walked, the clouds parted. Standing on the dune, looking at the waves come in, and looking up at stars I have never seen was amazing! God’s starry show welcomed us to our beach side weekend.

Job 22:12 [Is] not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

Everyone comes to God in the dark.

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We slept, with a window open to enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing, and the smell that only exists on a salt water beach area. The morning was gray…clouds covering the sky, and wind cutting through the clothing. Is this really Houston Texas? It was going to rain…we could see that. But the beach beckoned to us. And yet, we had to wait.

We sat and watched the rain as it hit the windows. The beauty of the water dripping down the glass, the splashes of water when the rain picked up, and the sparkle as light hit the various parts of rain were a delight to watch, from the inside of the RV. The percussion symphony of the drops was a song of the glory and majesty of Our God. We were protected from the rain! We were in the midst of a storm, but totally secure, warm, dry, and able to delight in the nourishing nature of the rain outside our stronghold.

Everyone has storms. Everyone has overwhelming times that just pound and beat against them, threatening to tear them down, or drown them in the emotions. But the one that trusts in God has a special protection, a special place in the midst of the storms.

Is 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Is 26:3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.

Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

:2 I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Prov 18:10 The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Sometimes there are dark times that just seem to go on and on and on. These are the valleys where we are tested. In Kelly Willard’s song “Hidden Valley’s”, she says :

“Hidden valleys produce a life song

Hidden valleys will make a heart strong

Desperation can cause you to sing

Hidden valleys turn shepherds to kings”

Elijah endured the storms on the mountain. Isaiah endured the storms laying on his side playing with toy soldiers. Daniel endured the storms in the Lion’s Den, and his three friends in the fiery furnace.

David was so used to going through valleys, he wrote the 23^rd Psalm. The key is with whom you walk, and what happens on the other side of the storm.

The rain ceased, and the sky changed a bit, but going out onto the beach was possible. The clouds rolled in, with light from above shining through, giving us the hope that the sun was coming. We walked along the beach, enjoying watching the surf as it rises and falls, ebs and flows, fluctuating and crashing in an unearthly rhythm that only the creator understood. Mist rose above the waves, and the wind blew it in from the gulf, stinging my cheeks as I looked out upon the water. The sand was uneven, unstable, and shifting back and forth as I walked on the beach. I had to keep my focus, and I had to choose my path carefully, or I could fall, damage my ankle(again) and have a tremendous set back.

In this day of mass confusion for mankind, with crashing sound all around, wars and rumors of wars…we have a path in which to walk.

Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

:8 All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

We must stay the course, and hold on to our path. These are part of God’s plan, though it His allowing men to have their own way, turning them over to their own devices and desires. But the believers in Christ have a path.

Psalm 37 is such a comfort in times such as these:

Verse 23 says The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand.

Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

BUT THE SON IS COMING!!! Breaking through the clouds!

Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

We are to comfort one another with THESE WORDS!

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Ah – the sun shining upon the waves. They were beautiful before, with the various shades of gray, but as the sun peaked out of the clouds, the water ignited with diamonds, and deep aquamarines, and blue topazes floating up and down with the undulation of the finest dancer. The water was alive!

When the Son touches our lives, even though the waves are the same, the sand is the same, and even we are the same, we come alive! He takes the unholy and makes us holy. He takes the imperfect and starts shining on the perfections. He takes the crashing of our waves and turns it into a dance of love and joy and peace and purpose.

For examples of this, read the gospels…the woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood, the man who couldn’t walk, the man who couldn’t see, the people that could not be part of society because of their leprosy. When Jesus touches a life, well….

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Our sins are covered by the blood of the Lamb – and it’s now our job to walk in the deliverance HE has purchased for us.

We can look at the waves, and the clouds, or we can look at the creator of the waves and the clouds. In Matthew 14:28-32, Peter did fall, BUT HE DID WALK ON WATER! He first was looking at Jesus, trusting in His word. THEN he saw the wind and was afraid. HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF OF JESUS.

I don’t expect to walk on water anytime soon, but we have this concept that walking on water is only for someone like Jesus. Peter is a man like you and me. Peter had yet to deny Christ. Peter walked on water! Don’t despise small beginnings!

There is a saying that has hung in my mother in law’s house as long as I’ve been in the family. It says: “I believe in the sun even when it rains.” Do we believe in the Son, even when it rains?

This seems to be a redundant theme for me, but it fits here as well. The way to be strong in the storms is to be strong in the Lord. Here’s a few verses:

Be strong in the Lord: Deut 31:6-7; Josh 1:9; 1Chron 28:20
Fear Not – the Lord will strengthen you: Is 40:27-31; Is 41:10-13
The Joy of the Lord is Your strength: Neh 8:10
HE will give us a song: Is 51:11
We must come into His presence with praises of thanksgiving, and joyful noises: Ps 95:1-6; Psalm 100
And Jesus came so that our joy(the strength from the Lord) would be full: John 15:11; 16:24

Jesus purchased our ability to have joy…the way to obtain that joy is to be filled with the Lord’s joy, which comes from being in His presence, which is only done by entering with praises and thanksgiving. And the only way we can enter His presence with praises is to make a choice about how we look at the clouds in our lives.

James 1:2-8

We must CHOOSE joy. Sometimes it’s a sacrifice.

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.

But the blessings are great.

Jer 33:11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD [is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever: [and] of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

And, when we dwell in the presence of the most High, we are sheltered by the shadow of His wings…(Ps 91).

The SON cometh!

Psa 96:10 Say among the heathen [that] the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

:11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

:12 Let the field be joyful, and all that [is] therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

In the midst of the storms, comfort one another with these words!

And this is my song, my choice to sing in any time of darkness:

Psa 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

104:2 Who coverest [thyself] with light as [with] a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

104:3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

Ps 27:6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

In His hand and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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