No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
When we are in the midst of a trial, we are oftentimes so focused on what is happening to us that we arenât looking for the way out. We spend our time talking about the problem rather than doing what Godâs Word instructs us to do: âRejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!â (Philippians 4:4 NKJV).
You may ask, âWhy does God want us to rejoice?â Because, according to Nehemiah 8:10, the joy of the Lord is our strength. If we donât have joy, we wonât have strength.
Joy comes from the Word of God, and we must read the Word constantly to maintain that joy. As human beings, we have the physical need for sleep, but the devil doesnât. The moment we open our eyes each day heâs sure to be there waiting to say, âYouâre not going to make it. This trial is too much for you. You might as well just give up.â
But guess what? The devil doesnât have any defense against joy.
Let me tell you what it means to rejoice. One meaning of the Hebrew word rejoice is âto brighten up.â In other words, put a big smile on your face whether you feel like it or not. Another meaning of the word rejoice is âto spin around,â and a third meaning is âto leap.â So, the next time you are facing a trial, hereâs how to respond: smile, spin, and leap. Or simply putârejoice!
Confession:Â My God is a faithful God who has already made a way of escape for me in every trial and temptation. Therefore, I choose to always rejoice in the Lord, knowing the devil has no defense against the joy of the Lord, which is my strength.
Author:Â Jerry Savelle