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You Can Choose to Rejoice and Be Happy!

by Tonja Taylor  
1/01/2023 / Christian Living

It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king. At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king. I had never been hangdog in his presence before, so he asked me, “Why the long face? You’re not sick are you? Or are you depressed?”--Nehemiah 2:1-2, The Message

Jesus took the grief, the sorrow, the sadness, and such, when He shed His pure blood to pay for our sins, and died on the cross and destroyed the power of every curse, over 2,000 years ago!  Hallelujah!

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.--Joshua 24:15, AMPC

I've heard more than one minister say that, when we have pity parties, are depressed, hold on to sorrow and grief, etc., then we are serving the devil. YUCK!

For seven days you shall keep a solemn Feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses; because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the works of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.--Deut. 16:15, AMPC

Joy, and even happiness, can be stirred up by you--when you decide to be happy and joyful, regardless of what's going on in your life that's not right! 

1 When the Lord brought back the captives [who returned] to Zion, we were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal]. 2 Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. 3 The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad!--Psalm 126:1-3, AMPC

Being thankful is a huge key to being joyful! Unthankfulness and other negativity only breeds wrong. It is a tool the devil uses to mainly distract us from our Father God's faithful love and goodness to us--which He's shown us all the days of our lives (or we'd be dead and in hell a long time ago!)

16 Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); 17 Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; 18 Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].--I Thess. 5:16-18, AMPC

Just take time to write a list, or start thanking the LORD out loud for all the things you can think of that He's done for you (and you can never really finish, for you'll never know all the good He's done for you, until maybe Heaven!). 

The Holy Spirit will help you think of things to than the LORD for, and it should not take long before you start to feel better--because being thankful is a powerful tool to experience the joy of the LORD! 

Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection].--Psalm 97:11, AMPC

You can even ask the LORD to help you choose to be thankful and rejoice. He will!

So let's praise the LORD and be glad! 

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.

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