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Thursday, October 03, 2013

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

Join me as I do 31 Days of posts,
writing from the HeART!
You'll find other fascinating posts
on The Nester, all doing a series of 31 Days!!!


"Rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength!"
Nehemiah 8:10

I don't know who said this, but my husband
always quotes:
"Pain is inevitable, misery optional. 
Choose JOY!"
Sometimes it is VERY difficult to choose joy.
When my sister Peggy's husband Jing
was diagnosed with malignant  melanoma,
that was a very challenging time.
Three years after, 
she was standing on God's promise in 
Habakkuk 3-17-19:
 "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord 
and exult in my saving God.
God the Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet swift as those of hinds and 
enables me to go upon the heights."
and know that nothing is impossible with God
when we rejoice! 

Even when it is sooo difficult to rejoice,
to be filled with praise,
to thank God for something not yet given,
Ann Voskamp says that
"Thanksgiving precedes the miracle."
Thanksgiving and praise releases fruitfulness
and breakthroughs.

In 2 Chronicles 20, there is a story about how Israel
was going to fight against the huge army of their enemies.
What did they do?
The King appointed singers to sing to the Lord
and praise Him! (2 Chro 20:21)
Then God set ambushes against their enemies.
You may say that's an Old Testament story,
but when there was a problem I could not resolve,
I marched around our store like the
Israelites at Jericho (Joshua 6),
seven times, and our problem was solved!
The battle is not ours but God's! 
Let us determine to CHOOSE joy!

Every week I choose one wonderful visitor
who leaves a comment
to receive an ATC from me.
I know it takes so much time and effort
to leave a comment
and I appreciate it soooo much!


This week,
Random.org chose
 #19, Marilyn Lamoreux,
who wrote "Pick me! Pick me!"
in her comment!
Unfortunately I'm going to have to google her!
When I click on her name ,
it goes to Yahoo OpenID!


2 comments:

  1. Amen! I choose JOY too Patsy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What pretty artwork. You are so right that often choosing joy is a difficult thing to do. Unfortunately, what is right is often not what is easy. :( Thanks for the reminder and for sharing with us at Word Art Wednesday.

    ReplyDelete

I am so glad you dropped by! You are a blessing!
:^) Patsy