February 8, 2001
"And you will sing
as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;
your hearts will rejoice
as when people go up with flutes
to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Rock of Israel."
Isaiah 30:29
God is refering of the joy they will feel when they are liberated from captivity. God wants, expects and designs for us to rejoice constantly in the freedom he bestows on us. God crushed and destroyed the enemy in front of his people so they would never forget who was God, the power that he has and that he works for his people's good. It's a lesson to keep before me. Despite how much God has already done in my life, the enemies he has crushed when I face a more difficult/seemingly overwhelming challenge it is easy to lose sight of who is in control. It is so important for me to remember, to keep track of the victories, to see growth continually, to see how God has answered prayers how he has defeated Satan time and time again as he's tried to work in my life. When I do that... no matter what I am facing I will be able to rejoice in the face of trial and great difficulty because I know in whom I place my confidence! That makes it a little easier to understand how I can "Consider it pure joy... whenever you face trials of many kinds" - James 1:2.