Philippians 4:4-5 (The Message) Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
As I sit here trying to grasp how I can rejoice and celebrate God with all the chaos going on in this country try, I realize that it is in situations just like this that we must rejoice. Listen we all go through storms in life, we all have to deal with disappointments, we all have to endure loss, we also sometimes live with physical pain. Those are the times we need to rejoice in God and celebrate Him. When we do that, when we live like that, God notices! He sees our faithfulness in the midst of the storm. Jesus Christ rejoiced in God His Father even though He knew He'd endure the cross. I mean think about it for a moment. What would this world be like if we all celebrated God every day instead of dwelling on our circumstances and living in our regrets and destroying things over our disappointments? How much better would we all feel physically and mentally if we rejoiced with God every day? When will we ever learn that life is about celebrating and rejoicing even through the storms?
Okay I know it's not easy to celebrate or rejoice when you're going through a storm. I've been there before and the thought of rejoicing or celebrating anything sickens me to my core. The way I discovered to rejoice or celebrate during a storm is to drop to my knees in prayer. Dive into God's Word. Cry out to God. Plant your face on the floor and cry a pool of tears.
"God, I can't handle this situation alone. I am lost and confused and hurt. I don't know what to door where to turn. I need you God! I give up!" This is my usual prayer when I'm in a stormy season. The thing is that when I do this, when I surrender my storms to God and stop trying to handle them myself, that is when God steps in and takes over. As long as I keep trying to handle it on my own, God won't intervene. He sits on the sidelines and watches waits for me to give Him control. And honestly when I do that I can rejoice and celebrate in the storm because God's plan is far better than my plan. His ways are higher than mine and His thoughts are far more on track than mine.
Sure I could keep on handling it, many of us do, but trust me when I say that it is only when we surrender our storms to Him that we feel the stress diminish and the pain dissipate. When I handle it, it gets worse and takes much longer to calm. When I let go and let God handle it, I instantly feel a sense of relief and calm. No matter how disappointed I may feel, no matter how afraid I feel, no matter how painful I feel, when God takes control and I surrender, the clouds part, the rain and the wind cease and the rainbow appears. In the midst of the storms I can rejoice, I can celebrate because God will work all things out for my good, even if I can't see it now.
There have been so many times in my life when I thought the storms would never end. I felt so defeated, so battered and bruised that it was too much to bare. Tears run down my face like a flood and my heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest. It just doesn't seem fair. It is during those times when my faith has grown stronger. It is only during those times that I have always been comforted knowing that my Lord is always with me. In my deepest, darkest despair I surrender. I wish I didn't have to get to that point to finally get it but sometimes that's what it takes to get through this thick skull of mine. You see for me, when things are going smooth, when everything is coming up roses, I don't need much faith, I don't really need God. I get comfy and lose sight of who God is and what He can do for me. Ocassionally I need a gentle reminder, or I should say I need a kick in the buttocks.
I do my best nowadays to rejoice and celebrate God all the time, even in the stromy season. I realize how close He is to me every second of every day. He is my refuge, my strength, my Savior! Without Him I can do nothing, with Him I can do whatever He needs me to do. No matter what disappointment you face today, let it go! Surrender all your pain, all your tears, all your hurts and all your fears! Let go of all the disappointments! Rejoice and celebrate that no matter how bleak your situation seems, God is in control! He has a plan we will never fully understand! Just have faith that He will work it all out!
As I sit here trying to grasp how I can rejoice and celebrate God with all the chaos going on in this country try, I realize that it is in situations just like this that we must rejoice. Listen we all go through storms in life, we all have to deal with disappointments, we all have to endure loss, we also sometimes live with physical pain. Those are the times we need to rejoice in God and celebrate Him. When we do that, when we live like that, God notices! He sees our faithfulness in the midst of the storm. Jesus Christ rejoiced in God His Father even though He knew He'd endure the cross. I mean think about it for a moment. What would this world be like if we all celebrated God every day instead of dwelling on our circumstances and living in our regrets and destroying things over our disappointments? How much better would we all feel physically and mentally if we rejoiced with God every day? When will we ever learn that life is about celebrating and rejoicing even through the storms?
Okay I know it's not easy to celebrate or rejoice when you're going through a storm. I've been there before and the thought of rejoicing or celebrating anything sickens me to my core. The way I discovered to rejoice or celebrate during a storm is to drop to my knees in prayer. Dive into God's Word. Cry out to God. Plant your face on the floor and cry a pool of tears.
"God, I can't handle this situation alone. I am lost and confused and hurt. I don't know what to door where to turn. I need you God! I give up!" This is my usual prayer when I'm in a stormy season. The thing is that when I do this, when I surrender my storms to God and stop trying to handle them myself, that is when God steps in and takes over. As long as I keep trying to handle it on my own, God won't intervene. He sits on the sidelines and watches waits for me to give Him control. And honestly when I do that I can rejoice and celebrate in the storm because God's plan is far better than my plan. His ways are higher than mine and His thoughts are far more on track than mine.
Sure I could keep on handling it, many of us do, but trust me when I say that it is only when we surrender our storms to Him that we feel the stress diminish and the pain dissipate. When I handle it, it gets worse and takes much longer to calm. When I let go and let God handle it, I instantly feel a sense of relief and calm. No matter how disappointed I may feel, no matter how afraid I feel, no matter how painful I feel, when God takes control and I surrender, the clouds part, the rain and the wind cease and the rainbow appears. In the midst of the storms I can rejoice, I can celebrate because God will work all things out for my good, even if I can't see it now.
There have been so many times in my life when I thought the storms would never end. I felt so defeated, so battered and bruised that it was too much to bare. Tears run down my face like a flood and my heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest. It just doesn't seem fair. It is during those times when my faith has grown stronger. It is only during those times that I have always been comforted knowing that my Lord is always with me. In my deepest, darkest despair I surrender. I wish I didn't have to get to that point to finally get it but sometimes that's what it takes to get through this thick skull of mine. You see for me, when things are going smooth, when everything is coming up roses, I don't need much faith, I don't really need God. I get comfy and lose sight of who God is and what He can do for me. Ocassionally I need a gentle reminder, or I should say I need a kick in the buttocks.
I do my best nowadays to rejoice and celebrate God all the time, even in the stromy season. I realize how close He is to me every second of every day. He is my refuge, my strength, my Savior! Without Him I can do nothing, with Him I can do whatever He needs me to do. No matter what disappointment you face today, let it go! Surrender all your pain, all your tears, all your hurts and all your fears! Let go of all the disappointments! Rejoice and celebrate that no matter how bleak your situation seems, God is in control! He has a plan we will never fully understand! Just have faith that He will work it all out!
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