Page 54 - Living Light - A Message of Joy!

Wednesday January 31 - Rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
Short and sweet... and to the point. Rejoice! Now, that’s what it says here, and also in a further 153 places in the Bible, so it’s a persistent theme. Yet... how many truly ‘rejoicing’ Christians do we know? Are we particularly known to the world as people of rejoicing? The jury is out! Why should this be?
It’s not as if we have little to rejoice about. After all, we have the assurance of ‘life to the full’ (John 10:10) and ‘life everlasting’ (1 John 5:13). By rights we should walk around with a perpetual grin. Perhaps our lack of joy is from allowing ourselves to be dragged down by burdens, even those that we burden ourselves with. There are many Christians in my life who have the most horrendous problems to deal with, whether it be physical pain, bad relationships, or whatever – yet they seem to be people of joy. What is their secret?
Perhaps the answer is demonstrated here: ‘My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything’ (James 1:2-4). It isn’t easy, but the reward always outweighs the trials.
Father in heaven, please help me to be joyful in all circumstances. Amen.
Thursday February 1 - Be gentle!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5
Returning again to my personal trial at the workshop, one word used to describe me there was ‘benevolent’. It was actually meant as a joke, but I gladly accepted it, with its meaning of ‘well-meaning’ and ‘kindly’. Now, as believers, a major work of the Holy Spirit within us is to make us more like Jesus: ‘and we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit’ (2 Corinthians 3:18). If this makes us more ‘benevolent’ then it is important that it is ‘evident to all’. We can feel all ‘touchy feely’ on the inside, but unless we are demonstrating it to others, then we are not functioning as we should.
And what better role model than Jesus himself? He said he was ‘gentle and humble in heart’ (Matthew 11:29) and demonstrated this in his dealings with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Confronted with an adulteress from an enemy people, he had every right to be angry and assertive. In fact, the disciples were even surprised to see him actually talking to a woman! But he chose the path of humility and gentleness as he explained his mission to her, and this resulted not just in her salvation but also that of many others from her own people.
Father in heaven, please help me to be more like Jesus in my dealings with people. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY