A LIFE OF JOY, HAPPINESS IN ABUNDANCE

“It is because of the Lord’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul; therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him” Lamentation 3:22-24.

Dearly beloved, I greet you in the Name of our Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I bring greetings from Shalom Family Enrichment Mission family.

I received a request for prayer this morning from somebody in Colombo, SriLanka. And he has written, “Please pray for me for my sickness & financial problems. I am fed up of this. Please once again.” And has indicated “I just prayed to receive Christ as my Savior for the first time” I could imagine the agony he is going through!

“How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?” – says David in Psalm 13: 2. Did you know stuff like that was in the Bible? He is pouring out his heart to God. He actually dares to question God. Have you ever felt that way? Maybe some days you wonder if God is around. Some days it might seem that God has forgotten you. Some days you wonder how long you’ll have to feel this way.
When we’re ill, many of us find ourselves worrying about symptoms that we might have (real or not) and imagining the worst possible outcome. Perhaps David was doing the same thing. But this psalm, as with most psalms of lament, has a “turn”—a place where the psalmist recognizes that God is still God and deserves praise, a place where he realizes that God has not forsaken him. In this psalm, the turn happens at verse 5. This is a good reminder that God’s presence in our lives is not dependent on how we feel. Verses 5 and 6 can bring real comfort, reminding us that God really is with us even when we don’t feel that he’s there. “5.My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation. 6. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Well, dear Brother, Sister, if you are going through just a situation right now, just throw yourself headlong into His arms— and you’ll celebrate your rescue.

This particular psalm begins by asking God how long we will have to put up with the current bad situation we find ourselves in. We don’t know exactly what was going on when David wrote this psalm, but he might have been suffering from some illness (see verse 3: “give light to my eyes or I will sleep in death”). But whatever the problem is, David does not talk about it right away. Rather, he talks about God hiding his face, David wrestling with his own thoughts, and his enemies triumphing over him.

Many people in our world—and even in your own city or neighborhood—are having a very hard time. Some of them don’t have enough to eat, or a safe place to live, or parents who love them. Some of them are sick, or maybe someone they love has died. Some people are lonely and don’t have any friends.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Is. 6:8. I spoke up, “I’ll go.” says Message Bible. We can pray for other people who are sad, because God hears us whenever we call to him. But we read in Mark 1:8 >Jesus replied, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so I may preach there also; that is why I came [from the Father].” We are called to walk with Jesus. Jesus was active all the time while on earth as a man. He was never on the comfort zone. (Jesus replied to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Mathew 8:20). Most of us have the feeling that it is enough if we have a close relationship with the Lord in prayer and in reading the Bible. But God wants us to go further. That is why Jesus has commanded us to – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Mathew 28:19. If you agree to step out with Jesus, His plans will be fulfilled and He will bless you more and more. Your life with Jesus will be full of joy and happiness, and you will have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

India needs you. Spread the good news in India. Learn to hear His voice. Do not follow your thoughts and others’ ideas. Wait for His sweet, soft voice. Never give importance to your knowledge of Bible, your experience. But God declares, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts”. Isaiah 55:8,9.

Dearly beloved, may this whole month be great blessing to you and your children and grand children. When you serve the Lord, he will serve you. God bless you.

Prayer: God our Father in heaven, thank you for your grace that you shower on me every morning. I make up my mind on the first day of this month that I should step out with you so that my life with Jesus be full of joy and happiness, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.