“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/ 

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht   

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/ 

Written by 83 year old Robert VanHoose:

Read  1Peter 1:6-9, Isaiah 61              Mar 20 

                                 “If God’s not Happy” 

   “The good times of the wicked are short-lived; godless joy is only momentary. The evil might become world famous, strutting at the head of the celebrity parade, but still end up in a pile of dung.” (Job 20:5) MSG 

    There is a saying that “if mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy”.  If this is true from a human perspective, how much truer it is when equated to God.  

       When our happiness or joy is faith based, there is absolutely nothing that can take it away from us.

     True happiness or joy is the fruit of having a trusting relationship with Jesus Christ as our Savior.  The oil of God’s joy is a continual filling of the Holy Spirit, that will accompany the goodness and mercy that follows us all the days of our lives. 

    When we are told to “count it all joy” when we are persecuted or allowed to go through any kind of pain or suffering that is not the consequence of a personal sin, we are not being told to do anything that Jesus did not do. 

    “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2b) NKJV

    The attitude of joy with which Paul and Silas responded to their imprisonment at Philippi and with which the impoverished Macedonians responded in giving to the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem are examples of the “oil of joy” which the Holy Spirit will pour out upon us to enable us to mourn, endure, and persevere with joy when we keep our eyes upon Jesus. 

   Father, give me the strength and power of your Spirit, that I might “count it all joy”.  In Jesus’ name, Amen