With Gladness of Heart...

Are you one of those people who like to skip ahead in books...hand raised right here! I am truly a look aheader! :) I even do with my devotion book!

Today I looked ahead at tomorrow's devotion, and I thought that I would just share it on here this morning:

Deuteronomy 28:47-48  Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

And He, Who in another place says that He draws us with lovingkindness, says now that He shall put a yoke of iron upon our neck.
So dullness of spirit is sin; there is no way out of that conclusion. I think we sometimes call it by other names; "sensitiveness" is one of its pet names; and so we take things by the wrong handle, turn a dull face instead of a glad one on the  rough and smooth of life, depress others and make it harder for them to be good. May the Lord deliver us from all this, and show us this dullness of spirit for what it is--ungratefulness, selfishness, sin. There will be sorrow; the care that cometh daily (2 Cor.11:28); battle wounds may knock us out; but we need never go under in spirit. May He keep us all and make us a joyful company, each one of us like that servant of His (the mother of Bishop Moule) "whose feet brought light into a room". Let us ask for that blessed gift, "joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things".

Taken from Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael

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Finding Joy...

I was thinking the today about how dreary I have seemed on here lately...sorry about that...let's just say that I have been evaluating my life today, and I don't like how much time I've wasted.

The Bible says,

Ephesians 5:14-20  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

I need to redeem my time! Yes, the days are evil...we know that, and we shouldn't be foolish enough to ignore them. But I at least, find myself focusing too much on the devil and his evil world! I was reading in my Amy Carmichael devotional this week about that...she was talking about these very verses (verse 19 to be exact). She said that we spend way too much time talking about, thinking about, dwelling on satan's victories and his darts...that is exactly what he wants! He wants us to be so consumed in him that we are not rejoicing in our Jesus! The Bible says,

Philippians 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

This is a Bible command...a hard one at times, yes, but how much better will it make our lives when we are rejoicing in Him??? Tremendously! Miss Carmichael went on to say that we should sing as much as we can...they are the best ways to quench satan's fiery darts...even when we can't sing aloud...sing to yourself...just like the scripture above says! Another one of God's commands!

Today, like I said earlier, I was really looking back at the last year or so...being married, having Jeremiah...and there is a lot of time that I have wasted...I been lacking in joy...joy in what the Lord has given me...well, I'm not going to let satan have that victory any more! With God's help, I'm in! I'm in for building up my home in joy! Enjoying the gifts God has given me! Enjoying the life that I have here and now! Not wasting a moment! What are you doing now? Don't waste another minute! Confess your sins, change that frown into a smile, stop focusing on the past and the hurts...press on, my friend! Happy Weekend!

Philippians 3:13-14  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.