Can I rejoice in the Lord... Always? Philippians 4:4

A brother in Christ at a meeting received a gift of a pair of brand new boots from someone in the gathering. He rejoiced and thanked God for much of the rest of that evening for the unexpected gift he had received. That next Monday he and his wife lost their newborn son to complications at birth. To this another mature and prophetic brother said "it was important for this brother to maintain the joy of the Lord on that Monday much like he had in that meeting the prior week." Wow.. Who is sufficient for these things?!

What did I come to understand from the true account? The joy of the Lord and the peace of God are the two fruit of the Spirit given to hold us up during times of adversity. They are not just human emotions felt when everything is going well. When the world is falling apart around us, HIS joy and peace flood our hearts and we remain focused on Him. I ask myself would I be able to say what Job said in a situation like this "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away... BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD"?? Today I say Lord thank you for your grace and mercy which will sustain us during such times.

Need an honest mistake eraser?...

I have made mistakes in my life... I am sure you have too! Some of the scars connected with these mistakes I will most likely carry to my grave. But I was reading my bible recently and came across a scripture that really gave me hope. It is not without requirement mind you, but it does have great merit! The scripture is nestled inside Jesus' first public proclamation widely known as the Sermon in the Mount. Jesus simply says these words that are recorded in Matthews 5:7... "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." There it is... no doctrine, but just a simple message saying if you want people, the world, the universe, and your creator to give you a break, start giving others the same consideration. I am amazed at how hard we are on others but totally expect to be given every consideration. Showing a little mercy is something that can change the world! How about it? Let's cut each other some slack! Maybe the next time you need a mistake erased hopefully you have stored up some mercy chips you will be able to cash in.