Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches!
Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!
Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.

Lamentations 2:19 ESV


Friday, May 24, 2013

Joy Traveling the Main Road

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

How is your joy? From Paul's inspired word to the Thessalonians, joy is a state of being. But, one thing I've experienced is that being joyful isn’t easy when the world keeps attempting to climb on my back.
 
If it's the world you are carrying on your back, shrug it off! You can do it! It’s not yours to carry! Yours is only to obey in the things God calls you to, only in the “property” that The King has allotted to you.
 
King Jesus tells us that His kingdom, His rule, His yoke is light. He tells us that we find rest for our souls when His yoke is on our shoulders. (Matthew 11:28-30)
 
But, what if that yoke takes you to circumstances you don't desire?
 
Guess what? The King is still the sovereign over your life. As Perry Noble wrote, the reality is that God is “FAITHFUL … and if He leads you TO IT, then He WILL lead you THROUGH IT!” (His capitalization.) And be sure, what God leads you to has significant purpose, because as Ron Hutchcraft wrote, “When God is leading His people, the detour is really the main road.” That's basically what Paul teaches in Philippians 1:6.
 
The truth is that as praying moms we are involved in a story that is much grander than what we can currently see. We are doing something huge that has an impact on the generations to come. We need to have a forward, eternal perspective that trusts God, the same one that Jesus had before going to the cross—that’s the reason that He had joy. It is why we can today worship the Lord with gladness and come before Him singing with JOY! (Psalm 100:2 NLT)

 

"But let all who take refuge in You be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You shelter them,
That those who love Your name may exult in You."

(Psalm 5:11, NASB)

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