Rejoice....Joyfulness versus self-pity.
The first thing I am greeted with in this weeks study..."Joyfulness is the bright spirit and radiant countenance that comes by being in full fellowship with the Lord"...
OUCH...I have gotten away from it but in my past I had self-pity down to a fine art...there are still days that I dwell in the self pity mode...and the attitude in my house reflects it...it rubs off on everyone.
The daily devotional that really stood out to me this week.Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for mysake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Matthew 5:11-12
I have lived this persecution. My husband and I had become very active in our church, we truly had a home built upon the rock. We had invited some people over for Christmas dinner...the first one I ever hosted. One of the single men wanted to bring his girlfriend, I asked him not to as she was married. He did anyway.
With this came a subsequent conversation. I was told I said things I never said, I was accused of belittling someone I never did, I had no idea where this was coming from, until the comment that I "talk to much of God"...I was told by my BIL that I should divorce my husband so they could have the old person back...there was the answer.
Noone can accuse us with permission of the Father. NO one can harm our relationship with Him unless we choose to let them. The fact is their accusations and lies come from their own guilt and confrontation with sin.
Again this week, God speaks through the childrens bible lessons. Looking back on the follow me command, one of the versus with the kids' study was on rejoice, again I say rejoice (okay, He said it twice, maybe I really ought to listen)but this time I read on "quench not the spirit"...on days in dealing with various levels of exhaustion/depression I find I have quenched this spirit, thus pouring water on the fiery passion I so so want to return to for God.
I am finding that trying to list 1000 gratitudes is helping me, I am seeing things again that I had my eyes shut to for so long, back to the basics.
For this week, I will purpose my days to Rejoice, again I say rejoice! I am off to bed for it is written...Joy comes in the morning....
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