A Year 4 Transformation: Day 166-A Steady Dose of Rejoicing

Passage of the Day:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you, Philippians 4:4-9.

Reflection:

Over the course of my life, moments of joy have always been quickly interrupted by demonic influences, trials or unforeseen circumstances. The Holy Spirit led me to Elijah’s victory over followers of Baal in 1 Kings 18 only wanting to die one chapter later due to Queen Jezebel’s death threat. Perhaps, this is the inspiration behind Jesus’ words in John 10:10. If you want to maintain joy for extended periods in life, you have to know what you’re up against.

Prayerful Actions:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes, Ephesians 6:10-11.

Preparing Your Fields to Bear Spiritual Fruit:

In his letter to the Church at Philippi, the apostle Paul urges Christians to develop a positive mindset. Rather than dwell on your previous failures, positive thinking promotes rejoicing like having a modern-day gratitude journal. Those that reflect upon the blessings bestowed upon their lives by God, makes a steady dose of rejoicing attainable. However, if you don’t arm yourself spiritually with the helmet of salvation, the Devil will steal your joy. Therefore, whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.

Song of the Day:

The lyrics of today’s song points to prayer as a key factor for maintaining a spirit of joy. When you don’t feel like rejoicing, lean on the strength of Jesus to lift you up in your times of need. Trust in Jesus to produce a steady dose of rejoice, Philippians 4:13.

by Jay Mankus