Thankful, Day Thirty-one

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Shout with joy, it says. But have you ever wondered what to do when you don't have joy? What if you don't feel like shouting, or singing, or giving thanks? What happens when it seems like you have nothing to shout about? It has been my experience and observation that if you wait until you feel like it, then you'll likely never feel like it. The devil will see to that.

So when you don't feel like it, shout anyway.

When you think you have nothing to shout about, shout anyway.

And do it joyfully, even if you have no joy.

Like the phrase I love to quote: Act as if ye have faith, and faith will be given unto thee. That is not Scripture, and I don't know who came up with it, but the gist is this: Fake it 'til you make it. I guarantee, if you start acting joyful, it won't be long before you are joyful. If you start shouting for joy, it won't be long until you have joy! So shout!

I shout with thanks today because of the ministry I had a part in today. I hear things went well at my own church, from which I was absent, and I'm here to tell you tonight that things went well where I was the visiting preacher. Not because I was there, but because Jesus was there! There was a freedom of worship and a hunger for the word, a powerful spirit of prayer and response to the word. And I shout aloud about the goodness of it all.

I shout with thanks today because of the great fellowship I always have with my friend Pastor Larry Cox. God made a way many years ago for the two of us to find an uncommon camaraderie, and I am grateful to have a friend like Larry.

I shout with thanks today because God truly knows how to fix things I think are unfixable, to do things I thought were undoable, and to make all things work together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose. I love God, and I'm called...therefore I know, everything is gonna be alright and work out like He wants them too.

Thank you Lord for all of that, and so much more!