All of us who have weathered the storm of an addictive lifestyle know that our days were filled with trials of one sort or another. Each day required that we meet the need of our dependency from whatever source we were able to find. We also had to cope with negative thoughts about those who loved us and wanted us to act responsibly towards those who were dependent on us. Our powerlessness over the demands of our life left little space for anything remotely cheerful.
All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15 NIV)
When we decided to turn our will and life over to the care of God things started to change. We were set free from our dependency and enabled by the Holy Spirit, the Power greater than ourselves, to begin the healing process of reconciliation with those we had harmed. Asking God to remove all our shortcomings and making amends set us free to seek the will of God for our lives. Through Jesus we found peace, joy, and comfort because God accepted us as His beloved children and promised to meet all our needs from His rich resources.
Those who serve Christ in this way are pleasing to God. They are pleasing to people too. (Romans 14:18 NIRV)
As we follow God’s principles in all our affairs our hearts will be filled with joy and peace as the hope we have in Jesus floods our whole being. Our cheerful faces will begin to reflect the measure of God’s love in us and our actions will reveal that God’s love tends to overflow to others. We will gladly carry the message to others of what God has done for us, so they also can experience the joy of the Lord.
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)
Jesus takes us from a crushed spirit to a cheerful heart. The good medicine of the Word of God enables our spirit to soar like an eagle so we can run and not be weary.
Prayer: Loving God, Thank You for bringing me from darkness into Your glorious light and for the joy in my heart that gives me a cheerful face. Amen
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