Faith

by Debbie Wallis

saw their slavery as a result of their own sin They saw the relevancy of sin to their own lives They had experienced the destruction of sin As they were on rock bottom they began to realize that it was in joy that they can find strength to put their lives back together We need God back in our government but a revival begins with the Word of God not with politics If you want to see America return to Christ be a witness to the power of a changed life. The joy of the Lord becomes our strength as we realize that we can come to God from where we are right now.

pride made him fall He holds no power over the One who Is the Great I Am; King Jesus I don’t give any authority to Satan in my life I have Christ in me and the devil can only take what I give him permission to through sin and disobedience

The walls of Jerusalem have just been completed but there was something lacking They spent seventy years captive in Babylon and had finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, but their lives were still in shambles The Israelites were told "the joy of the Lord is your strength " Their heart condition is revealed in Nehemiah 9:36, "But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land You gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have placed over us They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please We are in great distress "

They had forgotten their spiritual heritage as they were held captive in a foreign land They had forgotten their native language, but most of all they had forgotten God The consequences were that their lives were in great distress They saw the connection between the sins of their own hearts and their distressful situation They

“I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live,” Deuteronomy 30:19 There are blessings and curses available and that is why we are told to choose We have always had free will John 10:10 says that He came that we may have life Jesus is the life we can choose and it doesn’t stop there it starts there It’s not about the sin being the fun we will miss; it’s all about the joy of following Christ where true life begins. You will never enjoy life unless you make a quality decision to do so. John 10:10 also says that Satan came to rob you of true joy, to destroy you and to kill you. If joy is your strength and you let him take your joy he’s rendered you weak and hopeless Jesus came to give and “Satan roams like a roaring lion, looking for the weak he can devour,” 1 Peter 5:8 Who is the stronger of the two? Jesus is! He is the King above all Kings He is the Lord above all Lords There is no other like Him He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit He was in the beginning of time and will always be Satan is a fallen angel He was created with a free will and his

Jesus wants us to experience enjoyment in our souls It’s important to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones,” Proverbs 17:22. It’s God’s will for us to enjoy life. I don’t know about you but those two choices seem to be easy Choose life, choose joy Choose it for you and your children

The Promised Land was available, yet the Israelites wandered around the wilderness for forty years when it was only an eleven day trip They simple would not believe God and therefore, they disobeyed Him They walked in their own way and that w stole their around co discourag filled with others and They forg brought th brought th life One doubted G then they another to My momm party, ya’ Bad comp character, If you desire to live in the strength of joy you must be determined and ready to watch for the thieves of joy If you have been brought out of sin and saved by the grace of the cross then do not forget what God has done Keep your mind fixed on the promises of God Read His Word daily to remind you and fill you with hope The Israelites thought more on what they left behind; beds, food and routine, than they did on what was ahead; a land promised by God Their own words got into their hearts and God allowed the consequences of their own sins to keep them and their descendants wondering Some never made it to the Promised Land.

You can't understand and know how to worship with hope, gratitude and praise to God until you realize the distress your sins has cause you and those in your world It’s the Lord's joy that is our strength It’s His rejoicing that gives us reason to rejoice It’s His joy that fills us with hope It’s His joyous wish to save us just as we are, in spite of our sins It’s God's joy to stand us back on our feet and strengthen our feeble legs and wobbly knees just so we might discover His joy as our strength, also If you do not have a Bible please contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo com and I will provide you one