1 Thessalonians 1:6 says:

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

As I was reading this morning, this verse popped out at me.  Affliction and joy. Two words which should have absolutely nothing in common.

According to Strong’s Concordance the original Greek word for affliction in this case is thlipsis which means pressure- afflicted, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.

Joy comes from the word chara meaning gladness x greatly (x be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully, fulness, -ous).

How can someone possibly have joy while going through tribulations and anguish?

This past year I have witnessed this verse lived out in my own life, and in the lives of those around me. And to be honest, there were times I was watching my close friends as they went through one particularly difficult period, and I thought if this is what it costs to get close to you Lord, I don’t know if I want it. But then God allowed me to see the work He was accomplishing in them, and I knew it was worth it.  Now those friends will be the first to tell you, “We went through the fire, and we count it as joy. God worked in our lives in a way that we never could have foreseen!”

As His church and His people, we are going to go through times of testing and trouble. God allows these things to happen in our lives to grow us and test our foundation. It is not something I particularly enjoy, but it is as necessary to our growth as the food we eat. We have to know where we stand, and be willing to sacrifice for it. We have to know with everything in us, that Jesus will carry us through. The only way to know that is to experience it for ourselves.

So no matter what the problems you face. No matter if everything in your world has turned upside down. Hold on to the joy of the Holy Ghost in your life. When you face difficult times, know He is with  you.  Do as Ephesians 6 says, and put on the whole armor of God, and stand. He will not falter. He will give you joy and peace when nothing in this world can. He will…

1 Kings 22:34 

Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor.  So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

 The first thing I notice in this verse is “a certain man drew a bow at random”, not aiming to hit the king but to hit whatever man was placed in the path of the arrow.  The King had been warned Verse 17-28 that he would fall.  He placed himself in the line of fire.  The prophesy was very clear of the outcome verse 17 Micaiah said “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd.”  But Ahab refused to listen to the prophesy.

We may not have a prophet standing in front of us at every turn, but we have the Spirit of our Lord dwelling in each of us.  We must be decerning with our decisions.  We are quick to blame the enemy, but maybe we need to step back and see where we have placed ourselves in the line of fire.

Let’s look at the history of Ahab.  He married Jezebel, and provoked the Lord to anger more than any of Israel’s kings. He surrendered to the influences of idolatry by constructing a temple for Baal (1 Kings 16:32)  But also we see that he frequently consulted with God’s prophets (1 Kings 20:13-14,22,28)  But the influence of Jezebel in his life overshadowed any influence the prophets of the Lord had in his life.  He has become a prime example of  God’s people.  We stand wounded from the battle because of the decisions, because of the  influences in our lives. 

God’s is looking for a remnant who is ready to fight the good fight.  The battle will come…and you will be wounded……but never turn around and come out of the battle. God has equipped you to persevere.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren.

In this world filled with video games, TV, ipods, and cell phones our children have been set up with a broad sort of idols in their young lives. I was taught a valuable lesson today from my ten year old son. I questioned him on how long he played video games vs reading his bible. He was honest and said I never read my bible except on Sunday’s. I asked him was our God just a Sunday God or was He a everyday God? He slowly and quietly answered “He’s an everyday God.” I had to ask myself the same question, my answer of course was the same. He’s a God of everyday.

In this verse Moses is commanding the children of Israel to follow the statues of the Lord. The instructions are “heed (pay close attention) to yourself, diligently ( constantly ) keep yourself so you won’t forget what you have seen (learned). What a warning! We must pay close attention to what our flesh is doing. Constantly -because the enemy can slip in and before you know it we aren’t reading our word like we used to, or worshiping in truth. Consumed with the idols of this world. Busy Bees are what we will become. Working for the Lord, not with the Lord. There is a difference by the way. When we work for the Lord we are doing in our selves —-hint—-you will become tired quickly. When you are working with the Lord you are doing it through him not yourselves—–hint—–this produces joy and hunger for more.

So my question for you is “Is your God just a Sunday God or is He an everyday God?”

Brandie