Count It All Up

Dear Friend,

One of the biggest lessons I have learned the last five (7) years of my life, has been to count it all joy! You mean "ALL" LMJ??? I mean all. I've learned to count every trial, every disappointment, every separation, every loss and every situation as joy (see James 1:2). It was difficult at first but I realized that if I counted it all up as misery, despair, trial or tribulation (the opposite of joy) I would wind up murmuring and complaining (see Phil 2:12-16) and that just led to more wilderness. What do I mean by wilderness? I mean more darkness, more despair, more anxiety, more worry and more trouble. Not one time that I complained did it bring more joy and light. And after I studied the children of Israel's ignorance in the wilderness (see Exodus 15:22), I realized I was tired of not accessing the promise land (see Deuteronomy 32:51–52) and that my mouth, wouldn't continue to be the end of my story.

Complaining is the expression of regret, sorrow or injury. And what I found is that it created more opportunity for satan to use my words against me. As a matter of fact, I began to look for each loose word I said because I realized he (satan) was hanging on to them like a participle (a word formed from a verb and used as a noun, participles are used to make compound verb forms). So if I said i was sick, the devil would invoke the thought that I was "gravely sick" if I would say I was broke, he would say you were "extremely broke". Because he knew that my words were risky and I would be judged (see Matthew 12:37) by every word that came out of my mouth. So he knew if he could snare (I didn't want to be like Job and the "thing" that I feared (or spoke) out my mouth to come upon me see Job 3:25) me with my words he would use them against me in the heavenly courts, after all he is the accuser of the brethern (see Revelation 12:10). I am grateful that I learned that Jesus was my advocate and attorney (see 1 John 2:1-2) and that the blood stood in the way, but in the mean time I would not give the enemy evidence against me.

So I learned to count it all joy...1...thank you Lord that you have kept me from dangers seen and unseen, 2... thank you Lord for filling up my lonely places...3...thank you Lord that my suffering was for your good..4 thank you Lord that even when it's dark you light my path....and it seemed like every time I did, I would invoke His presence (see Psalms 100:4) and feel better. So I have found it's much easier to "count it all joy", rather than murmur and complain. It wasn't easy, I did get weary, but God gave me the strength of an eagle (see Isaiah 40:28-31) on the way. I dare you to try me in this, to prove God to be the truth and the devil to be a liar, and count it all joy.

Joyful,

LMJ