“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/ 

Read James 1:2-17,
Psalm 28
Feb 28
“Counting it All Joy”

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

How in the world can anyone “count it all joy” when troubles come.  It is contrary to human nature to rejoice in suffering or to bear failures or disappointments with a joyful attitude. 

Discouragement is real, and something we always need to be on guard against.  It is probably the devil’s number one weapon for getting even the strongest of believers to give up and miss the fullness of joy that God wants for all His children.

God is at His best when we need Him the most, and when we appropriate by faith that He is with us and will never leave us we find it easier to “count it all joy.”

When we understand that God never wastes a hurt, and that He is testing our faith and strengthening it as we persevere through the troubles of life, we will find it easier to “count it all joy.”

Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice makes anything that we might have to go through pale by comparison.  To know that He persevered even unto death in order to assure our salvation should remind us all to “count it all joy” when we are called to persevere through the trials of this life.

God has given us His Word in the flesh and in writing so that His joy might be in us in all its fullness.  He has promised that when we rejoice or “count it all joy” through the bad times as well as through the good we will receive His peace that surpasses all understanding.

We give God the opportunity to manifest Himself and His love, grace and mercy big time when we “count it all joy”.  May God help you to keep all this in mind, when troubles come.

Father, Give me the attitude of joy to help me persevere through the troubles of life.  In Jesus’ strong name.  Amen

Written by Robert VanHoose

P.S. Robert writes the “Homily Grits Devotional” you see above @  http://www.homilygrits.com/