Many people have the wrong idea about happiness and joy. They think that something from outside them has to occur that will provide them reason to be happy; a promotion, a new car, a boyfriend or girlfriend, someone complimenting them, etc. All these things are nice, but happiness really comes from inside us; how we look at our circumstances.

Solomon writes in Proverbs 12:20, “…Joy fills hearts that are planning for good!”

We start the process and plan to do good, and happiness and joy are the result.

Dear Lord, help us remember that our joy comes from within us. Help us plan to do good and share our joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you ever wonder why some days, everything seems to go wrong. Flat tire, leaky fawcet, late for school or work, forgot your purse or phone, mean comment by a coworker or boss. These challenges may be coincidence, but Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

These bad experiences may be caused by forces that are not obvious, and that are trying to break your spirit and separate you from God.

How do we overcome these forces. Paul continues in Ephesians 6:14 with the description of the armor of God. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

When the bad days come, remember to defend yourself with the shield of Faith in Jesus our Saviour and protector, and fight back with the wisdom and knowledge of the Bible, the “sword of the Spirit” which is the word of God.

Dear Lord help us remember that you have power over all things, and that your power is there for us, to protect us from the evil that tries to separate us from your Love and Salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Sometimes reading different bible translations helps with our understanding of the message, or gives us a different way of looking at it.

The New Living Translation NLT of Psalm 37:3 gives us a great and concise formula for how we should live and a promise of the outcome. It says, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.”

This is a pretty simple and straight forward message by which to live.

Dear Lord, help us truly put our trust in you and be good, by sharing your love with others. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Paul writes to the early Christian Church in Colosse, saying in Colossians 2:2-4, “I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.”

It sounds like even early in the life of the Christian church, people were beginning to come up with their rules and their own variants of Christianity, distorting and deceiving people from the simple message of Salvation through Jesus Christ. We see the same type of thing today where people create their own versions of religion that may have started with Christianity, but has turned into the following of rules made up by people.

The message from Paul is clear, that to stay on the right Christian path, we need to go to the source, Jesus Christ, where all wisdom and knowledge originate. We read and meditate on Jesus’ words in the Gospels, and read the other Bible writings to help interpret. When our questions arise, we use the Bible and prayer to help us understand. Though there have been many authors, and teachers who have studied the scriptures and can help us understand, we must remember their writing does not carry the authority of scripture.

Dear Lord, Help us remember that you are the source of all wisdom and knowledge, and we should not be deceived into believing something that contradicts your word. Help us become more familiar with your word so we will be more effective at resisting deception. We thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We all probably ask God for things that are beyond the bare necessities of life; Wants rather than just needs. I think God is pleased that we include him in all aspects of our lives and hears our requests, regardless of what they are. How he responds is based on his plans for us. However, when we receive what we ask, or God answers with something even better, it is important to remember that these things are blessings from God.

Deuteronomy 8:10 says, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.”and verse 18 says, “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

It is said that God gives us what we ask for, or something better. Let us be thankful in advance with confidence in God’s care for us.

Dear Lord, you hear our prayers, know our needs and know even our secret desires. Thank you for giving us all we have, all we need, and answering our prayers, in your way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.