Glory Seed Devotional’s, 2017: Anticipating and Experiencing Jehovah-Jireh...
Storm days...Sacred days
Shalom!
For many joy is an emotion that exhibits itself in happiness. Winning the lottery brings great joy. Finding the right “soulmate” brings great joy. Winning a championship game brings great joy. Getting picked for a job out of many candidates brings great joy. Joy as an emotion is always short lived and is usually replaced by the hum-drum of everyday living. Psalm 16 talks about a Joy we don’t experience, although we experience it.
“I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (Psalm 16:7–11, NLT)
One of the hardest lessons we humans need to learn is how to smile when the “storms of life” are raging all around us to batten our hatches, hunker-down and acknowledge the presence of the LORD, “I will bless the LORD who guides me… I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” Then suddenly we will find ourselves in the Eye of the Storm where God will, “…will show you the way of life, granting you the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever.”
Yet the truth I have discovered is learning to smile in the face of storms isn’t a lesson to learn, but a truth to be lived and celebrated. The Joy of Psalm 16 comes from the Wellspring of our relationship with God. When Nehemiah and Ezra read and explained the Law of the LORD to their people it created a storm within them and they were saddened. Nehemiah told them not to be sad but to, “…Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10, NLT)
According to Nehemiah “storm days” are really “sacred days” in disguise therefore because they are sacred days the presence of the LORD gives us the strength to smile and enjoy the “fruits” of the LORD’s strength.
Smile the LORD is your strength!
“Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” **
Grace and PEACE,
Gary
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Note: Should you want to go back and review this Glory Seed or if you would like to subscribe so you can receive them in your email you can do so by clicking on this link: http://www.gloryseeddevotional.org.
If you would like inspirational music playing as you read this Glory Seed may I suggest clicking on this link: http://www.abidingradio.org/listen/
“Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.”
**Psalm 27:14, New Living Translation
Comment