A JOYFUL LOT!

The Spirit of God invokes the people of God everywhere to come together to sing joyfully to the Lord because God has filled their lives with unspeakable joy. They were people of tears and their lives were in darkness. Instead of singing, they only knew crying. They were spiritually oppressed people and had no peace in their hearts. They were full of murmur and have been going through grumbling. They had no satisfaction in anything. But God came into their lives and changed their countenance. He changed their hearts and gave them new hearts. He wrote His laws in their hearts and lives. He removed their curse and filled them with blessings. He gave them peace that passes all understanding. He performed innumerable miracles in their lives which even amazed them. When the Lord has thus changed their lives, the fitting response was to sing to the Lord about all that He has done for them. They have personal singing, but they are also challenged to come together and sing as a congregation of redeemed people. The marvelous things that the Lord has done in their lives make them shout for joy because mere singing alone was not adequate for them to sufficiently express themselves. Often when they shout for joy, the people around heard them and realize that some unusual things were happening to them and even feared them and their God. The people in the surrounding places realize that God’s people are a blessing to others because of the mighty acts of their God. This is the most splendid testimony that a child of God can have as he or she sings and shouts for joy because a joyful countenance conveys strong messages about what was going on inside them.

Dear friend, is your heart full of joy because of the realization that the Lord has done wonderful things for you? Is your life full of praise for all that the Lord is doing in your life? Do you sometimes reach a stage when you realize that mere singing is not adequate to express your joy, and that leads you to shout in His presence? Remember, a joyful heart leads to a joyful life which leads to a joyful congregation. For any reason whatsoever, if your life is not full of joy, it is time to examine whether you are truly grateful to the Lord for what He has done for you. A grateful heart will be a joyful heart which is reflected in the expressions you make in the presence of the Lord. Today the Spirit of God asks us to come together with other children of God to the presence of God to sing and make a joyful noise unto Him. A joyful heart has strength from the Lord to face any eventuality in life. No matter how the world treats them, such lives will still be joyful. There is no scope for frustration in a joyful life. A joyful life is the best advertisement for Heaven where God’s people are going to spend their joyful eternity. A joyful life tells the people around their joy in spite of all the circumstances, tests, failures, losses, grief or the way the world oppresses and cheats the child of God. None of these eventualities take away the joy of the Lord which is the driving force to take us forward in our sojourn. Today let us walk with the joyful Lord Jesus, with songs in our mouths and hearts, come rain, snow or sunshine, and march towards Zion. Let us walk together as a congregation of God’s joyful people from victory unto victory day by day, because the victorious Lord is with us.

Nehemiah 8:10a – This day is sacred for our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Thought for Today
When we give full control of our lives to the Holy Spirit, He will allow our lives to fruit joy unspeakable.