MEMORISE:
Rejoice evermore. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
READ: Nehemiah 8:9-10
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
MESSAGE:
Discouragement is one major weapon the devil uses to ruin people’s destinies. A fellow that is discouraged cannot have the strength to move on. Our memory verse for today says you should rejoice forever because when you let sadness into your life, it will hinder the achievement of your goals in life. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and you will need it in order to fulfil destiny.
Elijah was a great man with a great destiny to fulfil. He was going very strong until the day discouragement set in. He became so discouraged that he asked God to take his life (1 Kings19 :4). After he made that request, God sent an angel to feed him. Then the Bible says:
“And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee.” 1 Kings1 9:7
The journey had become too tough for Elijah because he had become discouraged. He had lost his joy. May you never lose your joy in Jesus’ name.
In our Bible reading for today, we see Nehemiah encouraging the people after he saw them weeping because he knew that without the strength that comes from the joy of the Lord, they would not be able to build the wall.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22
You may have many worries and problems that make it difficult for you to rejoice, but the Bible says that a broken spirit will dry your bones. Being worried cannot add a cubit to your stature (Matthew 6:27), neither can it solve any problem; it can only dry your bones.
A fellow who is always gloomy is merely giving negative energy to his or her body system and will often fall sick, but a person who rejoices always will live a long and healthy life.
Choose the joy of the Lord today and receive strength for the Journey ahead.
ACTION POINT:
Cast all your cares on Jesus today and rejoice, singing and dancing as you go through the day.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 7-8
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
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