As God’s children, we must learn to put on the mind of Christ (see Php 2:5) and adjust our attitude, when under pressure and when facing adversity in our life…
Proverbs chapter 10:1-32 begins a collection of proverbs attributed to Solomon:
In Proverbs 10, the actions of wise and good people are contrasted with the deeds of foolish and evil people.
Solomon emphasizes the need for honesty and the wise choice of words.
Verses 19–21 tells us that when there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent (10:19).
In other words, if you don’t know how to keep your mouth shut, you can expect sin to flow repeatedly from it.
But the tongue of the righteous is pure silver, and his lips feed many (10:20-21)—that is, his mouth is valuable to those around him because it builds them up and dispenses God’s viewpoint like a rich meal.
In verse 22 we read that the LORD’S blessing enriches, and He adds no painful effort to it.
A blessing in this instance is a God-given capacity to enjoy His goodness in your life.
Money and good health are certainly nice things to have, but they are not necessarily blessings in the biblical sense.
Many people have such things but don’t enjoy them and aren’t blessed by them.
They have no sense of God’s peace or satisfaction in their hearts; thus, even “good” things can become a source of unhappiness or discontentment.
When God pours out His goodness to you, he gives you joy and peace and satisfaction with it, regardless of your particular situation.
In Psalms 100, we are given the protocol for entering into God’s presence; and you don’t get past the front door without Thanksgiving!
Psalm 100 is one of the best known and most loved psalms.
This hymn of thanksgiving invites the whole world to come to God’s temple in Jerusalem and enter its sacred spaces with unbridled joy and hearts filled with gratitude.
And why should we?
The psalm provides the answer. Not only has God created us—a gracious act of love in and of itself—but He has made us His own people.
He has chosen us and loved us.
As with Psalm 23, God’s people are cast in the role as sheep living well in His pasture.
The psalm ends on a high note of confidence and hope.
At all times—but perhaps more in times of difficulty—we need to be reminded of what is true.
Regardless of what seems to be happening around us, the Eternal is good; His love and faithfulness will endure forever.
Psalm 100
New Century Version
A Call to Praise the Lord
A psalm of thanks.
1 Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with joy;
come before him with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we belong to him;
we are his people, the sheep he tends.
4 Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving
and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
Thank him and praise his name.
5 The Lord is good. His love is forever,
and his loyalty goes on and on.
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We can only approach God with a grateful heart, not with murmuring and complaining, nor by feeling sorry for ourselves.
In the Book of Nehemiah we are told,
“The JOY of the Lord is your strength?” (Nehemiah 8:10)
In Nehemiah chapter 8, the people of Judah had just finished rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.
It was not as high or as thick or as impressive as it had once been and was certainly less impressive than the walls of other cities—enemy cities.
The people had many detractors who did not want the walls to be rebuilt.
The next step was to “rebuild” the people by teaching them the Law of God that had been neglected in many respects.
Restoring the Word to its proper place, by getting it inside of their hearts.
Ezra read the Book of the Law to the people, who were convicted of their ignorance and disobedience.
They were repentant and began to weep.
However, as important as this revival was, God did not want His people to remain dejected.
He had not rejected them but was in the process of restoring them.
“Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all,
‘This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.’
For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.
This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH.’
The Levites calmed all the people, saying, ‘Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.’
Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (Nehemiah 8:9–11).
When the people understood how they had disobeyed and neglected the Lord, they were sad.
However, in their repentance God wanted them to rejoice, not grovel in guilt.
They came to understand God’s Word and the fact that He was forgiving them.
God wanted them to rejoice, and their strength was renewed as they went from mourning to feasting and rejoicing.
To Rejoice means to return to Joy!
Joy is a tremendous source of strength.
If a person is down and discouraged, almost any obstacle or hardship is enough to incapacitate him or her.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
This can be true for anyone.
“Emotional energy” is extremely powerful.
This is why coaches give motivational speeches to their players.
A person who is “up” will accomplish far more than a person who is “down.”
Joy provides strength.
A person suffering from a physical ailment or pain but who is filled with joy will survive much better than a discouraged person with the same condition.
Joy can even make a person forget his pain and limitations. In fact, it is better to have joy in suffering than despair in ease and luxury.
Listen to what Jesus says in John 15:5-15 (The Message Bible)…
5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
Separated, you can’t produce a thing!
Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire.
But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that WHATEVER you ask will be listened to and acted upon.
This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9-10 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me.
Make yourselves at home in my love.
If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love.
That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.
This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you.
This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.
You are my friends when you do the things I command you.
I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning.
No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.
____
In the Book of Isaiah we are told that God will provide renewed strength and courage to overcome our obstacles if we have patience and trusts in the Lord’s timing, as promised in Isaiah 40:31 –
“they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”.
This phrase is a translation of the Hebrew word which means “to go up, ascend, to go up over a boundary.”
The lesson here is that the eagle uses the adverse winds in order to gain the power to rise above the storms of life, and we need to learn to do likewise.
And all of this is a reminder that God will provide strength, courage and victory to all those who wait upon Him.
________________________________
Monday, May 29
Pursuit of His Presence
DON’T CHASE SUCCESS –
LET IT CHASE YOU!
by Gloria Copeland
“The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.”
— Proverbs 10:22
How much do you want to succeed in life?
Enough to change what you’re saying?
Enough to change where your attention is focused?
Enough to act on the Word of God even when the rest of the world is telling you it will never work?
If you want it that much, the Word of God guarantees you’ll get your fill of success in life.
Good success. Not the kind the world gives, but God’s own brand of success.
Success the world’s way has a price tag of misery attached to it. But Proverbs 10:22 says God adds no sorrow to His blessings.
I will warn you of this, though. Satan won’t like it if you choose the way of success.
He’ll try to talk you out of it, and since he knows God’s success formula, he knows exactly what tactics to use.
He’ll pressure you to say negative things.
He’ll try to distract you from the Word and get your attention on anything – it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it isn’t the Word.
His goal is to stop your faith. He knows it’s the only force that can cause impossible situations to change.
He also knows that it comes from the Word of God. So when he sees that Word going in your heart and hears it coming out of your mouth, he doesn’t just sit there. He starts talking. Doubtful thoughts will come into your mind, thoughts that are just the opposite of what God’s Word says.
But those thoughts don’t become yours unless you believe them and speak them.
That’s what he wants you to do, of course. If the Word says you’re healed, he’ll say you’re sick.
If the Word says you’re forgiven, he’ll say you’re still guilty.
If the Word says your needs are met, he’ll tell you they’re not.
But if you won’t let go of your faith, if you’ll keep the Word in your mouth and in your heart, you can’t lose.
There’s no force the devil can bring against you that will overcome the Word of God. It will make you a winner every time.
So if you’ve been wanting good success and it’s been eluding you, quit wondering if you have what it takes to make it – and remember instead Who is with you and in you.
Then turn to the Word of God and put God’s success formula to work in your life.
Start talking it. Start thinking it. Start doing it.
Before long, you won’t be chasing success…it will be chasing you!
Speak the Word: The blessing of the Lord makes me rich and He adds no sorrow with it. (Prov. 10:22)
For Further Study:
Romans 8:31-34
God’s Everlasting Love
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Amen!!!
SELAH – Jeanette, let us pause and calmly think about these things today!
We have already won this battle for your health – your miracle healing – because Jesus has already paid for it through the stripes on His back and His shed blood on Calvary’s Cross.
God’s Word and the promises of His Word is always TRUE, and anything else that contradicts it is a lie!
And it’s my job, as your friend and prayer partner, to always remind you of that fact, and that we won’t ever accept anything less!
1 Peter 2:24 underscores this truth, by pointing out that Jesus suffered on the cross to bear our sins in His body, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.
But it doesn’t stop there, because it also says that “By His wounds, we have already been healed.”
This verse serves as a reminder of the power of Jesus’ healing and the power of His wounds to make us whole.
Thank you Jesus, we believe and therefore we receive!
Skip 🫶
SB SALT AND LIGHT MINISTRIES 