Today the Lord has been speaking to me about joy. He said "If Satan can't steal your joy, he can't keep your goods." Does that sound familiar? I heard a message on this thirty something years ago by Dr Jerry Savelle of Crowley, Texas. It made a big impression on my life. I have given away many of His books by that title. I had not thought about it in a long time. Back when I first heard this message was a time when God was teaching me who I am in Him and the authority that He has given to me and to you and to all His kids.
I fought a battle for years with depression. The Lord taught me how to choose His joy daily according to what the Word promises me and not what the circumstances tell me. Those days when I first battled with depression, I was to pick out several promises in the word of God and meditate on them continually. Read Phil 4:8, you'll see what I mean. It is what you allow your mind to dwell on that will create your actions. Make yourself dwell on the Word of God, and the Word of God will become your actions.
If I have learned anything over the past 35 years, it would be that the devil is always TRYING to steal your joy so you will let go of your goods. Satan does not have any authority. Jesus bought it back when He spent three days in hell and became the victor over hell and the grave. We have the authority here on earth.
In (Genesis 1:26) the Word says and God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. We are created in the image of God and he gave the earth to us with dominion over every thing. Satan lost his dominion when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Our joy cannot be determined by what is going on all around us in the world. It has to be determined by the promises of God. I am not just happy on the days that something is manifested into my life and then unhappy all the other days. I am happy because of my relationship with the Father and because of His promises to me. I know that the things that are happening in the natural today are subject to change. They are temporal or temporary. The answer is already on the way. Didn't you ask God already? Stand on His promises. It is the only way.
I may not have the money for a bill today, but I trust God. He will provide it according to His Word. He always has. I may not feel healed in my body, but I have joy because I know that it is promised to me. You take your joy from knowing that God is doing something according to His promises. You don't always know His timing, but it always comes.
When you wake up in the morning, you decide whether you are going to be happy or not. It is your choice. It is a continual choice you have to make. When that wild driver runs up behind you, you have to choose your reaction. When that child disobeys you one more time, you have to choose your reaction. When the washing machine breaks down again, you have to choose your reaction. Give it to God. Ask Him for the need and leave it there. Thank Him for it. Take joy in knowing that it is on the way.
(Deuteronomy 30:19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live: (Nehemiah 8:10) for the joy of the LORD is your strength. The joy of the Lord brings strength into your life. If do not choose joy the lack of it weakens you. You become vulnerable.
Did you know that a lack of joy will open the door for the enemy to keep whatever it is he is trying to talk you out of. Joy is your strength. No joy.No strength. So, don't let the devil steal your joy and he can't keep your goods. Whatever they are. Remember the story about binding the strongman. If a man hears a burglar one day and runs down to the basement to work out on the exercise equipment, he has it all wrong. He should already be working out on the exercise equipment. When the burglar shows up then, he will already have his muscles built up.
We need to practice joy. When the challenges show up, you will already have your muscles built up.
I fought a battle for years with depression. The Lord taught me how to choose His joy daily according to what the Word promises me and not what the circumstances tell me. Those days when I first battled with depression, I was to pick out several promises in the word of God and meditate on them continually. Read Phil 4:8, you'll see what I mean. It is what you allow your mind to dwell on that will create your actions. Make yourself dwell on the Word of God, and the Word of God will become your actions.
If I have learned anything over the past 35 years, it would be that the devil is always TRYING to steal your joy so you will let go of your goods. Satan does not have any authority. Jesus bought it back when He spent three days in hell and became the victor over hell and the grave. We have the authority here on earth.
In (Genesis 1:26) the Word says and God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. We are created in the image of God and he gave the earth to us with dominion over every thing. Satan lost his dominion when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
Our joy cannot be determined by what is going on all around us in the world. It has to be determined by the promises of God. I am not just happy on the days that something is manifested into my life and then unhappy all the other days. I am happy because of my relationship with the Father and because of His promises to me. I know that the things that are happening in the natural today are subject to change. They are temporal or temporary. The answer is already on the way. Didn't you ask God already? Stand on His promises. It is the only way.
I may not have the money for a bill today, but I trust God. He will provide it according to His Word. He always has. I may not feel healed in my body, but I have joy because I know that it is promised to me. You take your joy from knowing that God is doing something according to His promises. You don't always know His timing, but it always comes.
When you wake up in the morning, you decide whether you are going to be happy or not. It is your choice. It is a continual choice you have to make. When that wild driver runs up behind you, you have to choose your reaction. When that child disobeys you one more time, you have to choose your reaction. When the washing machine breaks down again, you have to choose your reaction. Give it to God. Ask Him for the need and leave it there. Thank Him for it. Take joy in knowing that it is on the way.
(Deuteronomy 30:19) I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live: (Nehemiah 8:10) for the joy of the LORD is your strength. The joy of the Lord brings strength into your life. If do not choose joy the lack of it weakens you. You become vulnerable.
Did you know that a lack of joy will open the door for the enemy to keep whatever it is he is trying to talk you out of. Joy is your strength. No joy.No strength. So, don't let the devil steal your joy and he can't keep your goods. Whatever they are. Remember the story about binding the strongman. If a man hears a burglar one day and runs down to the basement to work out on the exercise equipment, he has it all wrong. He should already be working out on the exercise equipment. When the burglar shows up then, he will already have his muscles built up.
We need to practice joy. When the challenges show up, you will already have your muscles built up.
Scripture study: I Timothy: 1:15
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