Rejoice!

Philip. 4:⁴ “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace…”

We always challenge people to take action because hearing the Word alone does not profit much. It is when you take action that it begins to profit you.

#3. Gratitude Develops Faith: In addition to honouring God and building friendships, gratitude develops faith. Hab.3:^17-18 (TEV, with emphasis) “Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, and even though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no grain, and even though the sheep all die, and the cattle stalls are empty,  I WILL STILL be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my Saviour.” This is someone that  understands that even though everything on the outside is not favourable but you are in control of what goes on, on the inside. You have to choose to be grateful, be glad and joyful.

The writer of Habakkuk gives us the reason why it is possible to be grateful even though everything on the outside appears to be contrary. “I WILL STILL be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my Saviour.” This is so big. Your joy is not dependent on having A or B. You remain joyful because you have God. I am not saying it is bad to have A and B. I am saying the source of your life and your joy cannot be based on what you have or do not have. The source of your life and your joy should be Jesus alone.

When you get this, you are on the right track. Guess what? The true test of your life and your faith is not when things are going on well. The true test of your life is when things are hard. That is when you will know who your real friends are. Pretend to be broke for three months then take a stock of your friends. True love and true friendship is tested when there is nothing. Ask Job; after a while, Job’s wife more or less told him he was of no use to her. Why then was he still holding on to God? She said, “Curse God and die”.

I do not mean to blow my wife’s trumpet but she was solidly with me even when I had nothing. Some women will grind everything to a halt even at the expense of their husband’s salvation. Some people actually walk out on their marriage. Gratitude develops faith and without faith it is impossible to please God or even move the mountains before you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, even though the fig trees have no fruit, the fields produce no grain, and the sheep all die, I will remain joyful because You are my Saviour, in Jesus Name. Amen!