Psalms tell us, this is the day the Lord has made for us to rejoice and be glad. I know prophetically this refers to the day of the coming of the Lord, but it also can be used for the day or specific time in which we are living and also this very day.
If God has made this day, He has it created and designed around you. God knew this day was coming and knew you would have a very important part to play in it. He planned for your success from eternity past and planned it out for each day. No wonder Jesus told us to live one day at a time and not to be concerned about tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, it will be today and God’s plan will kick in.
Today is a great day. My success and yours are already planned by God and are simply waiting for our acceptance. Why not believe that today will be special even before it begins? Begin praising God for the upcoming successes from the rising of the sun.
Wednesday - July 25, 2007
Jesus told us to rejoice when men say all manner of evil against you for the cause of Jesus Christ. He also told us that we would receive great and eternal rewards in heaven if we endure such trials. This is not necessarily a reference to beatings and martyrdom, but to the evil words which are spoken against us. He said they would “say all manner of evil against you.” This is the main way people persecute the ministers of the gospel. Jesus went on to say that this had happened to every prophet before. We know it happened to Jesus. Evil words took Him all the way to the cross. Yet, He rose from the dead and overcame the persecution.
Make sure of two things. First, you are being persecuted for the sake of Jesus, not your own faults. When you get in trouble for your own stupidity, don’t blame it on the fact you are being persecuted for being a Christian. Next, look past the persecution and realize that the trouble is temporary, but the effects and rewards are eternal. Many who are persecuting you could receive Jesus through your stand of faith and love. Their salvation as well as your rewards for your attitude in trouble will last throughout eternity. So, choose to rejoice when trouble comes your way. You will never know in this life how much is waiting for you in heaven for simply praising God.
I took a few days off and went to a minister’s conference in California. I was extremely blessed by the ministers, yet God spoke to me in another way while I was there. The weather was cool and extremely dry. I thought it was very pleasant, but the people were complaining that it was the driest season in recorded history (120 years) in California. It was a tinder box ready to ignite into vast forest fires.
Of course in Oklahoma, the weather has been the wettest in recorded history. The lakes are above flood stage and the ground saturated from months of continual rain. It continued to rain daily in Oklahoma while I attended the conference. Sometimes we gripe over the situations we face in life and do not compare our situation with others. Our rain would be a blessing to those in drought conditions. I stopped to give thanks for the blessings I had, even to the point of overabundance.
Living in the United States, we get used to having so many blessings. We get upset if our coffee is not warm enough, the room is not cool enough or we forgot to pick up some item at the grocery store. So many nations are in spiritual and economic drought. Thank God for our blessings, even the overabundance of them. Our nation and our individual lives are simply a testimony to how much God will bless a person who will put their faith and trust in God and follow His ways.
Wow, it finally quit raining in Tulsa. The weather guy on T.V. has said there will be no great amount of rainfall for quite a while. With all the dry summers we have had, I never thought I would be happy to hear that kind of prediction. It is amazing to me how we can want something and then not be happy when we get it. It is either too much of a good thing or not what we thought it would be. I believe this happens many times with our prayers. We ask God for something and when we receive it, it is not what we thought it would be, or it is not really what brings satisfaction. In that way, we are all like little children. We can only be satisfied for a moment.
How important it becomes to get our satisfaction with the Lord Jesus. Then we can put up with the insufficiencies of life. Paul put it best when he said that he learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself in. Contentment is learned. It is not a feeling. We need to be content with our relationship with the Lord Jesus, knowing whatever comes our way, nothing can separate us from Him or His love.
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