2013 The Year of Favour Rhapsody Of Realities Daily Devotional Pastor Chris Oyakhilome PhD Theme: Live Joyfully…Everyday Date: Wednesday October 30th, 2013 Scriptural Ref: James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms (James 5:13). There’re many who, instead of enjoying their lives every day are worried and weighed down by the cares of this life. The Lord Jesus, in Matthew 6:25, enjoins us not to live that kind of life: “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matthew 6:25). The Spirit of God, through the Apostle Paul reiterated a similar thought in Philippians 4:6: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” You must decide to live joyfully and happily every day; it’s a choice you have to make. Never find yourself sad, depressed or discouraged, irrespective of what happens around you. God doesn’t have the responsibility of making you happy or joyful. What He did was to put joy in your spirit. Joy is a characteristic fruit of your recreated human spirit (Galatians 5:22), but it’s up to you to live joyfully. No one but you, in the whole world, has the responsibility of making you joyful. Living joyfully has nothing to do with what’s happening to you or around you, or what others say or do to you. It’s got nothing to do with your experiences either; you can be joyful in the midst of trouble. James 1:2 says count it all joy when you go through diverse troubles. In other words, don’t be moved by adverse circumstances; remain thankful and exuberant with joy, knowing that you’re more than a conqueror. Consciously express your joy. You can’t say you’re joyful and not express it. Laughter, singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, making melody in your heart to the Lord, are all expressions of joy. Recall part of what we read in our opening verse, it says, “…Is any merry? let him sing psalms.” Learn to express yourself joyfully every day, in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs! Even now, sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord! CONFESSION: Dear Father, I thank you for your overflowing springs of joy that emanate from the innermost part of my being. Irrespective of the situations and circumstances, I rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, knowing that all things work together for my good! Halleluiah! Further Study: Romans 14:17; Psalm 5:11; Philemon 1:3
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:16:43 +0000