Daily devotion – Friday 16th July 2021
Nehemiah 8:10 …….Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
If I was to ask you what your idea is in describing the Christian life, what would be your response?
Many people have a “Hollywood” concept of what Christian living is. One that doesn’t sit with living in a fallen world where sickness, violence and persecution exist in our everyday environment.
Many people see the “successful Christians” on television and attempt to emulate them. For such people, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
So, when they discover their own gifts and calling are different, or their ministries are more modest, they often can descend into discouragement and overlook the genuine blessing and opportunities open in their very own lives.
They have forgotten that they are here to serve Christ and not themselves!
The Apostle Paul gives us a beautiful example to follow when he said, “None of these things move me.” – Acts 20:24
Few men have suffered like Paul, yet he learned how to live above his circumstances – even when locked in a prison cell alone!
You can do the same starting today. The key is to realize you are here to serve Jesus Christ, not yourself.
God does not promise us an easy life, free of troubles, trials, difficulties and storms. He never promises that life will be perfect.
He does not call His children to a playground but a battlefield.
In the midst of it all, when we serve Christ, we truly discover that “the joy of the Lord is OUR strength!”