MARCH 5; JOY UNSPEAKABLE,
Isaiah 43:2 “when thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
• DAILY READING – Mark 6:1-29; 2 Samuel 15; Daniel 9
Some species of Australian plants will only germinate and thrive after passing through a bush fire. These species of Australian plants need to be exposed to the heat of fire for the germination process to begin. A short burst of heat from a bush fire is thought to crack the hard seed coat of these seeds. This is often why, shortly after a bush fire in Australia, blackened bushlands amazingly transform into a riot of green vegetation, with new shoots popping up everywhere.
For example a plant called Banksias, can keep their seed for years in a woody fruit called a follicle. But during a fire, the parent plant may be killed but the fruit will open up causing the seeds to fall to the ground. And because the bushfire has destroyed many other plants, the new seeds can now thrive on the ground without competitors; fertilized with ashes from the fire. So, the bushfires that destroys other plants, become vital for the renewal and survival of these native plant species.
Rather than stunt their growth, the smoke from fire is just what these plants need to move from seed to become seedling. And when there is no bushfire, many Australian gardeners soak these native seeds in a solution of ‘smoke water’ to get them to grow.
What is interesting about these specie of Australian plants is that what kills others is what gives life to them. Where others fail, these plants not only survive, they also thrive. And as they grow, there is no sign of the fire they had been through. In the place of ashes, they are covered with beauty and color.
In the book of Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar threw the three Hebrew boys into the fiery furnace, the fire should have instantly killed them. But rather they not only survived, they ended up thriving, so much so that there was no sign of fire or smoke on them. .
Daniel 3:27 says, ” And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.!”
There are times we may pass through trials of afflictions, situations that may seem impossible and insurmountable. But we have to understand that God is able to use what was meant to stop us to propel us forward. He can turn around stumbling blocks to become stepping stones to greater glory.
This is why we count it all joy. James 1:2-4 says ‘Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.’
Maintaining our joy is important if we are going to fight and win the good fight of faith. We can’t control what happens on the outside, but we can control what happens on the inside. “Happiness” comes from the word “happenstance” from which we get the word “circumstance”. It depends on happenings. Happiness is external but Joy is internal. Joy is constant and is not determined by what is going on in your life.
Therefore remain joyful despite what may go on around you. Thank God for every opportunity for His glory to be seen at work in you. Let what could deflate you instead become what will inflate you. What the enemy sent to steal your joy, let it be the reason for your praise.
In Isaiah 43:2 God promised that “when thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Whatever fiery circumstance you may find yourself in, always remember that God is able to turn it all around for your good. And when God restores, He restores completely so that there will be no sign of the troubles you’ve been through. People may look at you afterwards and never believe that you are the same person that came out of the fiery trial, because there will be no trace of the fire around you.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to be filled constantly with Your joy unspeakable. It is indeed my year to see beauty for ashes and I thank You Lord for granting me the strength to keep moving from glory to glory in Jesus Name. .
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The study of The Word will keep shame and disgrace far from you.. WORDBITE 222