Sheila’s  (JAT) Tidbit No. 26  (October 22nd, 2015)

The Joy of the Lord is you strength

Having written Tidbits 24 and 25, I could not help but be reminded of a battle in my mind that I experienced after I had been home for a time. I was twelve days in hospital and even though the specialist told me that I would need to have regular check-ups in case the cancer spread, I believed that I had fulfilled what  the Lord had purposed and that those dealings were completed. I lay awake one night, full of fear of further cancer problems. I fought a spiritual battle and eventually fell to sleep. I awoke several times more hearing a tune resounding through my being.  When I finally awoke in the morning, I realised that we sung the scripture (James 1:2-4) to that tune.  Count it all joy when you fall into divers testings, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing. Count it all JOY.  Count it all JOY. Count it all JOY.   I knew the Lord wanted me to research the deeper meaning of the words “perfect” and “entire”.  So I found our Strongs Concordance and looked up the original Greek and I began to grasp that it meant  Perfect bodily wholeness.  WOW,  LORD!  Thank You!  I never had any more sleepless nights on that subject. That was 25 years ago and  I’m still praising and thanking our Heavenly Father for His wonderful care for us.

If we never “fall into divers testings” our faith, how our faith be tested. Jesus in Matthew says several times, “Thy faith has made thee whole.”  Every test and tribulation is a trial of our faith and it is in these times of testings that our faith is strengthened. As we call on Father to  make known His will and way in each circumstance, we are given an opportunity to let patience have its perfect work that we may come thru the test strengthened. So, count it all JOY for the Joy of the Lord is you strength.

Love and blessings,     Sheila