110. God Is On His Throne Psalm 11:4.

The Psalmist asks ; “When the foundations for good collapse, what can good people do?” He answered his own question this way, “The Lord sits on His throne in Heaven.” When sickness comes, When the marriage fails, When your children suffer, When death strikes. What are you to do? Remember that God is still on His throne and is watching over you. No detail escapes His notice or His care. He works according to a plan, one that’s usually hard to understand especially in difficult times. Only in looking back do we see Psalm 23;6 becoming a reality for us. “ that His goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives” And what could have happened to us if it hadn’t ? Joseph landed in prison. Moses spent forty years in the desert. Daniel ended up in chains. Who could possibly have seen any good in these situations. Who could have known that Joseph the prisoner was only a single promotion away from becoming Joseph the Prime Minister? Who would have thought God was providing Moses with forty years of wilderness training in the same desert through which he would lead the Jewish nation some years later? Who would have imagined that Daniel the captive would soon become the Kings Counsellor? That’s the way God carries out His plans. He did it for Joseph, Moses and Daniel, and He will do the same for you. So trust Him, He will give you the grace you need to get through the situation that you are facing right now, Big or small He will be there for you. When you ask “God where are you?” He answers, in ( Genesis 28:15) “I am with you, and I will stay and watch over you… I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” God said in (Isaiah 55:-8-9) My thoughts are not like your thoughts...Just as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my...thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Until we come to terms with the fact that God doesn’t think like us, we will continue to question His ways, and even start doubting His love for us. We try to avoid pain, but often God uses it to bring us peace. We want comfort, but He is more interested in character. We pursue stuff that doesn’t last, whereas He tells us to build our lives on that which endures for eternity. The fact is, God lives in a dimension we can’t begin to fathom. Solomon said, (2 Chronicles 2:6) “No one can really build a house for our God. Not even the highest heavens can hold Him.” You see, What controls you and me doesn’t control God, and what worries us doesn’t worry Him. Is an eagle agitated by traffic? No, he soars above it. Is a whale disturbed by a hurricane? No, he dives beneath the waves. Is a lion flustered by a mouse standing in its way? No, he walks over it. How much more is God able to soar above, dive beneath and step over the troubles of earth? (Matthew 19:26) Tells us “What is impossible for man is possible for God.” God can be everywhere at once, and He can hear and answer all the prayers that come to Him. Think about it; God works according to a plan and a purpose, He is on the throne and in control of everything – yet He watches over every detail of every life including yours and mine. Let that truth comfort you today. God’s focus is on us, every single moment of every single day. His creation is centred on us and our well-being. Sometimes that means He has to take us round the same mountain several times before we come to our senses and realise there are lessons to be learned. Very often, you will have noticed, that short term gains and remedies, or short-cuts and quick-fix ideas just don’t cut it. And usually it’s because they have come from a source other than God. So be careful where and who you go to for comfort and advice. It’s better to go round the mountain several times with Moses than try to fly over it once with a flightless bird and perhaps crash without having experienced the lesson and wisdom God is imparting to you. Think about it.!!! Thank you for reading these short but possibly relevant words on “Keeping God on His throne” It’s often not easy but, I’s the best place He can be to keep an eye on all of us at the same time, also, He has us in the best place we can be to feel eternally loved and secure. (The palm of His hand)!!! God Bless. Phaline.

109. THE JOY OF THE LORD How To Keep It.

What is “The Joy Of The Lord” It doesn’t mean you wont experience Pain, Sorrow, Misfortune or Tears, What it does mean is that God Himself will be with you as you go through these things, It’s only in recognising and accepting. His presence, eagerness and ability to help you through your problem; that you will get this insight. After all, He’s the only one who can truly know and understand your depth of sorrow and pain. Because He has not only been there himself, He has also been with you through all the circumstances leading up to this point. Therefore He alone can shower you with His Peace, His love and His Joy,Yes, even in those deep, dark times in life when you feel so isolated from every other human being on earth. He will “never leave you or forsake you.” Believe it, and pray it. The understanding, believing and accepting of that last statement is your very first step to obtaining and keeping ‘The Joy Of The Lord” that will last.’ “If The Lord Is For Me Who Can Be Against Me” His Joy comes from your knowledge of Him, not your circumstances, not your culture, or what everyone else is saying or doing, No! You will experience a peace beyond understanding, You will have a contentment you can’t explain, and deep down you will have the Joy of knowing a relationship with God that only those who have been through the fire with Jesus can experience. And those are the ones God counts worthy to carry the Cross with His Son. And if you allow it, that can be a Joy and Privilege you will cherish through your your entire life. The Joy of the Lord is another one of those gifts of God that must be cultivated. Yes, it’s like a muscle that needs exercising the more you develop it the stronger it becomes. Here are some exercises to help us to develop inner peace and Joy. Firstly, Show more gratitude, Paul tells us in (1Thessalonians 5:18) ‘Give thanks in all circumstances’ note, it doesn’t say be thankful for all circumstances, it says IN all circumstances. Frank Seyle, The Father of modern stress studies says “Gratitude produces more emotional energy than any other attitude.” So look for more ways to express gratitude. Call or email someone just to let them know you care about them. In (Psalm 28:7) we read ‘With my song I will Praise Him’ remember to express gratitude to God; Even though God is not dependent on us for anything, when He shows His affection for us by giving us a blessing, He really loves to receive our thanksgiving and praise Why? Because it shows Him we understand that the blessing wasn’t an accident, coincidental, good luck, just fortunate, or anything like that. But, that we acknowledge and appreciate from who that blessing came. Now, if your not naturally a joyful person, start singing praises to God and watch your attitude change. Secondly, Look for ways to give;- In (Acts 20:35) we read “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” What else does the Bible reveal in this area? (2 Corinthians 9:7) says “God loves a cheerful giver” why? Because you are most like God when you give, and he doesn’t give grudgingly. Do you realise your giving actually determines how much you receive from God. The Bible says in (Malachi 3:10) when you give Him the first of your income, He will “Throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Do you really understand it’s an impossibility to out-give God. As the old farmer once said, “I shovel it into God’s storehouse, and He shovels it into mine, but He has a bigger shovel.” The third way to increase your Joy level is by serving others: As long as we live with a sense of entitlement, believing that others should serve us, our Joy gauge will be reading empty. Jesus said in (Mark 8:35) “It’s in giving your life away in serving others that you will find abundant life.” In Ephesians 6:7-8) Paul reminds us “To serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lo not people, because you know that The Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do” The happiest people are typically too busy helping others to ask themselves “Am I happy” find a cause greater than self-interest and pour your life into it. If you do. your legacy will be greater than your life span. Finally, share your faith with someone. (Luke 15:10) tells us; “There is joy in the presence of God’s Angels even when one sinner repents” Your greatest joy in life will be the result of trusting in Christ as your Saviour. And your second greatest joy will come from introducing others to Him. Imagine sharing your faith with someone, they may not respond at the time, but you have still sewn the seed of God’s Word. Later, they commit their lives to Christ. Perhaps you didn’t know it. But imagine meeting them in Heaven and saying to you “I want to thank you for taking the time, I’m here because you cared enough to tell me about Jesus. When you think You are loosing or have lost your Joy, ask yourself this One question “When is the last time I shared my faith with someone or led them to Christ” That could answer a number of questions for you. Speak to those you meet about what Christ has done for you, How he ordered or changed circumstances to enable you to get out of sticky messes or problematic situations, How He removed people who were proving to be a stumbling block in your relationship with God. How He healed someone You were praying for. Or you got that Job, or flat, or car for the exact price you could afford and How everything in life has changed since you made the decision to give your life to Jesus. The experience of peace and joy you received that could only have come from Him. When you do those things, you will not only see your Joy return, but, you will experience the presence of The Holy Spirit and find yourself speaking God’s Word, because The Spirit will speak through you as Jesus said He would;-”Don’t worry about what you will say, on that day, because The Spirit will speak in your heart”. Thank you for reading these thoughts on Getting and Keeping “The Joy of The Lord” I can tell you from personal experience, JOY is one of the loveliest gifts God has made available to us. So keep it topped up in your heart, use it as often as you can and let it be your trademark as a Christian, telling the world you belong to Jesus Christ who died and rose again to bring you a New Life of Peace and Joy..So Be Happy!! God loves you!! God Bless. Phaline.