Joy

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Lately God has been dealing with me in a big way.  We have been very busy these past few weeks and I am tired.  I have not slept good so I am not getting enough rest.  My husband has not worked very much because the company is very slow right now, so finances are tight for us.  I have had an almost constant headache for two months.  My kids are all fighting allergies.  It just seems like so much hitting me at once.  It has been stealing my joy.  It is not just us, I know several people in this same situation and they all say the same thing.

Last week my sweet sister told me that God wanted her to share with me something about my headaches.  She said the pain of my headache is not of God.  Satan is using it as a tool to distract me from God.  Oh wow!  That was so true!  I was so focused on the extreme pain, that I was not focusing on Christ.  It is true in all of my circumstances.  The busyness of our every day activities right now was causing me to take my eyes off Christ.  Our financial problems and frustration over lack of work is causing us to focus on our debt and not Christ. 

This morning in my quiet time with God, He was dealing with me about this and later I went to facebook and posted this statement: The JOY of the LORD is my strength! No matter how tired I am or how bad things seem right now, I will not get down or discouraged anymore! I will praise God!  Then a little later I  went to my sweet sister's blog where she shared something on this that touched me.  Then a little while after I  that checked my email to see a video from an author and blogger I follow that again reinforced what God was telling me.  He was really trying to get my attention!

The Bible tells us to be joyful always.  Not just when things are good but always.  No, I do not have to be happy with the circumstance itself, but I can still have joy in Christ.  God does not cause something bad to happen to us, but He allows it.  Nothing in this world can happen without God's okay.  He uses these things to teach us, to bring us to a better place with Him or even to prevent other things from happening.  Hebrews 13:5 "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."  If God brings us to it, He will bring us through it. 

No matter what your circumstance is right now.  No matter what hardship you are facing.  Whether it is finances, a relationship, health issues, whatever your struggles are, keep your eyes focused on God.  Keep I Thessalonians 5:16-18 in your heart. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  Let's look to things of God, not of this world and problems.