The devil has been hard at work stealing my joy lately. I hearby declare that today I am stealing it back. What comes around goes around, dude. In Jesus’ name, I refuse to allow my joy to be taken from me today. Psalm 28:7 says: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
Outside circumstances have been a bummer for me recently. We have had the flu in our house this week and I haven’t been able to accomplish things at work which is very frustrating. I cannot stay ahead of my busy children regarding housework, dishes, laundry……the winter is getting long and it is muddy and wet and gross outside. We have 2 dogs. Now the mud is inside too. I want a nice long vacation on a beach and we cannot afford such things…..you know the list. We all have it. Poor me, poor me, poor me.
That was all within my power to deal with as an adult until this morning…..when one of my small children just started coming apart at the seams. Making a huge mess, not listening, being unpleasant. I started hearing some tapes play in my head that did not come from the Lord. Things like…….”you were too old to adopt children. you can’t handle it any more. you are a bad house keeper…….be defeated….feel defeated…..you are……..” and then I was like…..”Excuse me?”
The devil does not get to tell me if I am a good or bad mom, homemaker, nurse, writer. He doesn’t get to decide if I am too old to raise adopted children well into my 40s…….and he sure doesn’t get to tell me to be in a bad mood today. In Jesus name, I am standing on the promise that the Lord IS my strength, I am not. He is my shield. He can deflect all the arrows of the evil one and bring to light the lies and negative junk he was shooting at me. Today I choose to trust him and I know he will help me. My heart can leap for joy and I will praise him with singing.
We are going to pick up this pit of a house and then we are going out to do some fun play things. I will bake some brownies and banana bread so that my home smells warm and inviting this weekend. I will smile at my husband and children. I will give hugs and laugh and wage war against the thief that threatens to rob me of my joy.
