Weep for a night; BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!!

I received this wonderful testimony of encouragement and was given permission to share with our readers today.  A little background:  this was sent to me by a new widow, in her eighth day of grief at the sudden loss to a fatal heart attack of her loving husband of 37 years.  I am so blessed at this example of trust and faith in our Lord and only hope I can show such grace and love in the face of personal pain and sorrow as this dear sister in Christ!

“Have you ever thought about your testimony? Just what it is? This past week and all day Saturday, I thought about mine and my recently deceased husbands.

As people filed past and talked I heard his testimony in the stories, the love, the laughter. You see, our testimony isn't written down on paper! It's written in the lives we touch for Jesus.

Why do you think satan fights us so hard to knock us down? It is to mess up our testimony. We will all mess up, we all fall down, we all get beat up; but it's in the getting up, the correcting our messes, the loving those who fight us and want to destroy us that our testimony through Christ shines.

You see; it isn't anything that we do except allow Jesus to work through us that our testimony evolves.

Today look around you: do you see broken, messed up people? Then go help them out with God's love flowing from your heart and let your testimony shine.
Be so very blessed today in all that you do and comes your way. Know that beyond a shadow of a doubt you are loved more than life itself.

Revelation 12:11 ESV
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death
1 Peter 3:15 ESV But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
Philippians 1:27-30 ESV Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

What a tremendous word of encouragement from one who anyone would understand if she withdrew into herself and grieved at this time of raw emotion!  Instead of withdrawing, she is pouring out encouragement to others, so they might see the mighty hand of God in their own situations!

Whatever our personal circumstances, when we choose to surrender ourselves to the Almighty and walk obediently in the Spirit and NOT after the flesh, He provides the strength and relief and comfort and joy we so desperately have need of in our lives!

Please freely share this with others who need to be encouraged and know that truly, God is for them in every situation, whether they see His Hand of mercy or not!

Godliness with Contentment is GREAT JOY!

The shows we watch on television show us a picture of ourselves. Take the character from the popular TV show Home Improvement, Tim the Toolman Taylor.  He was always seeking MORE than what he had, and he just didn't seem able to grasp that what he had was really great.  It was a lot more than some others had.  A loving wife, three terrific sons, a job he loved.  He even had a neighbor that actually liked him!  

Oh, but Tim always wanted MORE.  Remember?   More power, ar ar ar!  The result was comical in his case.  He revved up the power, and usually blew up the project!

We can be a lot like that in our spiritual lives.  We say we want maturity but what we mean is we want MORE SPIRITUAL POWER.  Not to glorify God,  but we usually want it in order to do things OUR WAY.  We aren't really seeking Gods way at all, and just like Tim, it blows up in our faces, or destroys the project or worse, whether we meant to or not we can really end up hurting someone else.

Content. Such a simple word, such a wonderful concept.  Oh but it can be such a difficult attitude to attain and sustain and even more difficult to restrain ourselves from grasping for more More MORE!

In the Apostle Pauls first letter to his protege, Timothy, chapter 6, we read:

³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, ⁴ he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, ⁵ useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

 ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Just like the toolman, when we fail to appreciate and be content with what we have and grab for more More MORE it likely will blow up in our faces.  To trust in the Lord is to trust that what He provides is enough.  Enough to meet our needs.  Enough to allow us to give to others.  

Understand clearly what this concept involves.  It isn't about "letting go" or giving up or settling for less!  It isn't about failing to strive for the best, or failing to give your best.  It isn't about an attitude of "good enough" and never going for better or best.

It is about the attitude of heart that is willing to let God take the lead, willing to find the joy in what has already been given, willing to let God set the standard.  Not the neighbors or the trendsetters, the latest fad, not anything other than God Himself.  It is a willingness to be content with what He has chosen for you and not allowing jealousy or envy to corrupt your heart attitude.

Godliness with contentment is where the joy is.   And yet I would caution this; never settle for just being content.  The Lord has more for you.  

Godliness with contentment.  That's where the GREAT JOY is!

What is godliness?  Grab a bible quick!  There's a word study worthy of your time, and you'll be the richer for it!

May the Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings bless you mightily according to His riches in glory, and in that, I pray you will find peace, joy and CONTENTMENT.