We should always have a joyous outlook on life no matter how discouraging the news may be and no matter how many troubles we may have in our path. Having a heart filled with joy and gladness has nothing to do with the exteriors of life because those feelings come from within our being. We can choose to bless the Lord, to be at peace, to have a countenance of joy that will not only rejuvenate and reinvigorate our positive outlook on life, but it will also affect those whom we are fortunate enough to cross paths with. Our positivity, our encouragement, our joyful outlook will help others to see that life is worth living no matter how many obstacles there are in their path. King David knew many troubles; he had many challenges and trials that tried to steal his joy and make him question God’s plan for his life, but in Psalm 16:8-9 he confidently wrote “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” (Psalm 32:11) (Psalm 34:1-9)

King David rested in hope because he knew God is good and that his latter end would be much greater than his meager beginnings and that is how we should go through life. We should see through our eyes of faith our great and glorious ending so that while we are still in the present facing obstacles, trials and tribulations we can be confident that all will be well in the end and knowing this we can keep our joy, our strength and our peace. The Bible declares in Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:” I encourage you to dare to be one who chooses faith over fear, trust over worry, hope over despair and joy over misery. We are capable of blessing our days by our positive outlook on life, but the decision to do so lies completely within our hands. (Philippians 1:6) (Romans 8:28)

I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to face each new day with a joyous outlook seeing the good, focused on the blessings before you and being grateful for all that God has graced you with.


THROUGH HIS EYES

My oldest son is always the first to get the Christmas Spirit in our house. He usually gets it a few weeks before Thanksgiving. It is a joy to watch. With both the heart of a child and the soul of an angel he cherishes everything about this time of the year. He takes so much happiness in putting our decorations up. He takes so much pleasure in our evening drives to look at the outdoor lights on other people’s houses. He takes so much delight in singing in the school choir’s Christmas show. He laughs and smiles though every Christmas movie we watch. He enjoys all the Christmas music in the air. He always shakes the hands of the Salvation Army bell ringers while I put cash in their kettles. He always enjoys the presents we get him too, but the present he gives us is far more precious. That present is seeing the way he lives with so much peace and happiness every single day of his life. He is the embodiment of the Christmas Spirit all year long.

I am sure that God and all the angels must be smiling down as they watch this “special” son of mine. He lives the way we all should live. He sees the beauty of the world, the miracle of life, and the love of God in all things. He awakens the Christmas Spirit in me and everyone else he meets. I could never be a Scrooge myself, because I have the Spirit of Christmas Love and Joy sleeping down the hall from me. I only wish that the whole world could see Christmas and life through his eyes.

My simple Christmas hope then is that all of you try to see life with the same joy, love, kindness, peace, happiness, wonder, and delight that my son does. If you do this you truly will be giving yourself a glorious gift. If you do this God and His angels will always be smiling down on you. If you do this every day will be Christmas.

By Joseph J. Mazzella


Read and meditate on these scriptures:

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Psalm 37:3-6 “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”

Proverbs 17:9 “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”

1 John 4:7-11 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

I encourage you to also read all of James chapter 2, where James explains how we are to treat one another and not look at the physical aspects of life.

All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. 


Today’s Selected Poem: ETERNAL INK
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem2.htm

Today’s Selected Testimony: JESUS MY DELIVERER
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony136.htm


In Christ’s Service,

Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry