REJOICE!!!!!

I can see the question that comes into mind (especially if you are going through a rough season in your life)is what is there to smile about? Theres a lot of suffering in the world: financially, politically, emotionally and physically ....So PLEASE WHAT IS THERE TO SMILE ABOUT?

1st Thessalonians 5 v 16: Be joyful always

Joyful: elated; full of high-spirited delight
(wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

1st Thessalonians 5 v 18: Give Thanks in ALL circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

To Give Thanks: Showing appreciation and Gratitude
(en.wiktionary.org/wiki/thankful)

To some the meaning of these passages may not make any sense because we are hurting too much or too tired to see the sense in it. The world has made the word joy seem like a verb which only occurs when good things happen. When you buy a car, you have to be joyful. When you get married, its a joyous occassion and the endless list of moments when we ought to be joyful goes on. However what of those times when it seems 'inappropriate' to be joyful. For example, when you have been waiting for a promotion and suddenly it passes you by...Will you be grateful,thankful or Joyous? When the results you expected was not what you got and it seemed you were the only one out of your crew in that category...will you be grateful, thankful or joyous? When that breakthrough you have been praying for is about to go through and at its point of maturity it vanishes right before your very eyes...what do you do...?These are just some common areas which we experience in our daily lives.

I recently went through a set back and it hurt more than anything I have ever felt. I felt alone and this crippling fear of rejection and not being able to match up to standard engulfed me. It was not as if I hadn't prayed through it all or accorded myself any selfish praise but it just didn't work out for me. I felt crushed and I mean crushed. I didn't know what to do or how to feel. I began to cry. Not that crying helps but the pain was too much...I began to consider all the ridicule, the embarrasment....Lord why me I cried why me. I suddenly remembered a song I love...Donnie McClurkin's version of STAND...and I remembered what I was supposed to do...

You have to STAND up to that situation. No matter how traumatic it may be. After you have done all you can, all you can do is STAND... Why? Its not easy...you may be like me and cry, or get angry and look for someone to blame, or begin to harbour jealousy and spite...NO.... just STAND and watch the Lord see you through...Be sure in the Lord... All you need to do is endure that present season; God has a purpose; God has a plan...Do not give up through the storm or the rain. Do not bow to the situation, hold on and be strong; God will step in....Yes these are the words of the song but take a seat and meditate on it.

Is there a time the Lord has spoken and not kept to his word? God is not a man that He should lie neither is He the son of man that He should repent. I will rather rely and rest in the arms of my Lord than succumb more to the pressures of this world. If things have happened God must have allowed it...Why? Because He will neither leave me nor forsake me.The thoughts He has for me are of good and not of evil: Jeremiah 29:11 It is at this stage of STANDING that we should give thanks. The bible says in ALL things (yes I am saying all things) give thanks. It may be an inappropriate situation to give thanks in but yet still give thanks. Why? Because it could have been worse. For the person waiting for the promotion that passed by you, it could have been worse because you may not have had a job or worse still got fired....for the person with the resulyts which weren't expected, it could have been worse as you may have had to go through a resit or yet fail the entire course...for the person waiting for the breakthrough, it could have been worse if you were not even at the starting point and had nothing to aim for...

My analysis may seem far fetched or unrealistic, but as a christian, walking in the light and way of God and believing on His every word, I have decided that when set backs occur in my life I wil not be sober but give thanks to Him in advance for being gracious to me and allowing me not to have been in a worse position and thank Him in advance for that position I am aiming for.

It may be hard...but thats why we lean on Christ our solid rock. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run in and are safe. Whatever God has said about me in His word will be established in my life. Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world. This should be our daily prayers.

A set back is not the end of the world. It is only the beginning of the next chapter to our life stories on how we were able to achieve our destinies in christ. I will always bless the Lord at all times...Because when the Praises go up, the blessings come down... Remember He will never put more on you than you can bear.... So in the clear words of Apostle Paul's letter to the Phillipians, chapter 4 v 4 Rejoice in the Lord Always and again I say REJOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!