JOSHUA 1:8 NKJV “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

God has the answer for every problem you will ever face in life. Your redemption through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ is your assurance for victory always (2 Corinthians 2:14). God’s Word is God’s wisdom. The Bible is God’s Word, given to you from His heart of love, so you can know the truth, and have a sure foundation on which to base your life. The Bible was not given to put you down, but to raise you up. Not to put you in bondage, but to make you free (John 8:31-32). God’s Word gives you dependable truth you can use to form your beliefs, so that your beliefs will line up with God’s beliefs. God alone knows all truth, and in the Bible He shares what you need to know to live a blessed life. I want to encourage you today to follow God’s instructions, so that all things will go well with you. The answer for success in life is to do what the Bible says to do, because it is truth. The Bible is your instruction book for victory.

Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ today, we are rejoicing about the rescue from sin and death, and the restoration of the relationship between God and man. But I want to you to look beyond the miraculous event and focus on two main issues.  One is that Jesus Christ was raised from death and He lives forever. That is a settled matter. Second is the question you have to settle for yourself:  does Christ live in you? Is Christ’s light shining through you and visible around you so much that darkness cannot stand your presence? Is Christ’s life being lived through you so that men can see and experience His good works through you? Can He manifest His power through you in tangible ways? Is Christ’s love being expressed through you so you can love the unlovable; that you can look into people and have compassion on them instead of looking down on people and despising them. Jesus Christ is alive. But can you show with proof that He is alive in you? That is the food for thought from today’s word of encouragement!

Proverbs 17:22 TLB “A cheerful heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit makes one sick.”

These words, along with many others found within the pages of God’s Word, the Bible, inform us of the significance of a merry heart. Although there are times of sadness, sickness, and sorrow, God does not intend for us to live a life of gloom and doom. This does not imply that we minimize life’s sorrows, but that a Christian, through the strength of God, and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, has the ability to rise above life’s discouragements. You probably you know of someone who battles sickness and discouraging issues every day yet has a cheerful disposition. On the other hand, you know others who, although have many things over which to be happy, never seem to have a cheerful day. It is all about perspective. If we let God guide our hearts, we can be happy even in overwhelming disappointments. God can give you a merry heart in spite of yourself. A merry heart is a good prevention for illness. Medicines sometimes treat only the symptoms while a merry heart may prevent the illness from ever occurring. Be merry. God loves you and He is still on His throne, watching over you!