Monday June 11, 2012.

Each and every morning  this week, state 5 reasons why you can be joyful in the Lord.

If you are really keen, try not to repeat a reason all week.

Read Deuteronomy 26:1-11;  Phil 4:4

 

An older minister asked his young protégé, ‘How was your weekend?’ The excited reply came quickly, ‘Church was absolutely fantastic. It was great.’ The older minister looked shocked and surprised. He couldn’t understand what would make church so great. For the young minister, it was simply being in God’s presence together with his brothers and sisters. That was all he needed for it to be GREAT.

 

Let me encourage you to think for a moment about how you feel when you come to your Sonday service of ‘worship’.  What emotions fill your heart? What thoughts fill your head? Are you tired and worn out? Are you thinking about all the things you could be doing instead of being at church? Are you groaning and moaning, anticipating the preacher spruiking on again for hours on end? Or are you filled with JOY?

 

Once Israel entered the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, she was to rejoice in the Lord. God had saved Israel from slavery in Egypt. He had proven faithful to His promise to Abraham and He had greatly increased and blessed this nation.

 

You and I are in a similar situation. God has delivered us in a miraculous and great way. All of the miracles and signs in Egypt pale into insignificance as we look at the cross and the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour. Jesus came joyously into our world and ‘...for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning it’s shame.’ Jesus has died and risen to life for you, my precious brother/sister.

 

God loves you so much that He has orchestrated your complete salvation. Everything has been finished for you at the cross. Even if you are tired or worn out or have a billion zillion things to do this coming week, you have every reason to rejoice and to praise God. Rejoicing, being filled with joy is not an optional extra for the Christian, it’s a command.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that your Committee of Management would be wise in the way it administers the temporal affairs (the money etc) of the church. Pray that God would grant this group of men and women a huge in-filling of wisdom and insight so that they can build the Kingdom and equip the body here for service.

¥ Pray that our Session would be greatly filled with men of courage, men of wisdom, men of insight and men of Scripture. Pray that our leaders would model Christ-likeness in all their ways and sit under the authority of Scripture. Ask God to make each one of us joyously obedient to their leading and teaching.