Choose Joy

"You will keep him in perfect peace,
  Whose mind is stayed on You,
  Because he trusts in You.

  Trust in the Lord forever,
  For in YAH, the Lord, is
  everlasting strength.
                 Isaiah 26:3-4


  I woke up this morning with these Scriptures on my mind. As I recited them
  I was reminded of when my Dad would say, "I wish there was a switch on
  the side of my head that I could just turn to off so I wouldn't have to think!"

  I can relate completely to what Dad was talking about. I wish I woke up each
  morning with the joy of the Lord on my mind. I wish my first thought was
  always that He has everything under control for my life if I will just abide in
  Him, letting Him have His perfect will. I do not. I wake up thinking of challenges
  I am facing, concerns that I have with no answers. The "what if's and whys" in
  my life that seem to demand an answer. Ever been there?

  I heard a sermon by Charles Swindoll on Sunday about Abraham and Isaac.
  You know the story - Abraham was going to take Isaac to Mt. Moriah to
   offer him as a sacrifice.  Why? Total obedience to God!

      Genesis 22:7-8 tells us:
       " Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said "My father!" And he
         he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the
         wood but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

        And Abraham said "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for
        a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.

  Charles Swindoll left his listeners with the three words that made it possible
  for Abraham to do the unthinkable. Do you see them? Can you tell where
  Abraham's faith came from? It is in those three words "God will provide!"
  That is where Abraham walked. That is where he lived moment by moment,
  day by day. He knew in his heart, and walked in faith, with the Truth that
  no matter what "God will provide." How I want to be an Abraham!! Don't
  you?

  So how do we get there? Once again the Lord doesn't keep us guessing,
  trying to figure out on our own how to walk in the faith that Abraham walked
  in. He gives us an answer! It is right there in the Scriptures of Isaiah 26:3-4.

   Let's take it apart with the three questions:

   What does it say?            You will keep him in perfect peace
                                           Whose mind is stayed on You,
                                           Because he trusts in You.

                                           Trust in the Lord forever,
                                           For in YAH, the Lord, is
                                           everlasting strength.


     What does it mean?       Christ will keep me in perfect peace when my
                                            mind is on Him, because I trust in Him.

                                            I am suppose to trust in the Lord forever,
                                            for He is where my strength comes from.


     What does this mean       I will think about what I am thinking about!!
     to me personally?            When my thoughts run to worry, concerns,
                                            and unanswered questions I will trust in HIM.
                                            I will remember the words Abraham's spoke to Isaac:
                                                               "God will provide."
                                            And in faith I will walk in the joy of the Lord!

     Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!!
                                                                             Hebrews 13:9

    What are your worries, concerns, and unanswered questions? We all have
    them. Will you believe with me, like Abraham believed, God will provide,
    no matter how impossible it might seem? Christ died on the cross that we
    would be complete in Him, who is head of all principality and power.
                                                                                        Col. 2:9
    Together let's choose joy!  We can because we know that we know,
                        God will provide! 
 
    Thank you, Lord!! You are so faithful to me!!
    Help me be as faithful to You, I pray,
    And walk in the Truth that "God will provide!"
    As I choose to walk in Joy!