Get Your Smile On!

I was reading the side of a Lays potato chip bag and they had the slogan "Get your Smile on" on the bag. I thought to myself how hilarious it is that we are in a world today where they are trying to sell potato chips using ebonics. They are taking this multiculturism a bit far huh? That was beside the point of what I wanted to discuss today. I literally wanted to talk about indeed getting your smile on..regardless!

In the Bible, joy is spoken of several times and we are called to live a life of joy in the knowledge of what Jesus did on the cross for us. I diligently try to live that life of joy. Sometimes life takes a toll on me delivering a cold, finals, and a personal trial in the same week and I am horribly challenged in my joy! I seek God daily to find my joy and my strength in Him and he always delivers. He sometimes does it through the peace that passes my understanding in prayer, a phone call from a loved one just to chat, an email from a dear friend who is praying on my behalf (thanks Jay), or an encouraging scripture.

For a while, I have really wanted to work more on memorization of scripture not so I look good in sunday school but because they are tools in my personal walk with the Lord against Satan and his schemes. I have powerful weapons in battle when I know my word. Today, I am using the amplified Bible as my source and this is my new scripture verse:

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety. Psalm 16: 9

This verse is so completely strong for me right now because my inner self is what I study on a daily basis in Psychology. My heart being glad is what I really want to be able to say day in and day out about the Lord and my life. He is so good to me. I love the part in this verse where it says "my body too shall rest" because lately I have seen a physical demonstration of what my spirit goes through. If I am in a dry land, my body feels tired and lethargic. If I am in a stressed state, my body reacts by finding the first virus it can get. If I am happy and joyful, my body feels energetic and healthy. It is a direct correlation.

Another great part of this verse is where it says "and confidently dwell in safety." I first wanted to look up what safety meant so that I knew what to think about this part of the verse. Safety is defined (by the Princeton Review) as the condition of being protected against failure, damage, error, accidents, or harm. This makes me feel 100% better about my life to know that God is protecting against failure ...my biggest fear. When I find joy and really dwell in it; failure, damage, error, accidents, and harm can't get to me! I find this comforting and true in every way.

It is when I truly embrace Joy that all of those things don't seem to happen or get to me. I think God has a promise for us, if we rest in him, there we WILL REST! :)

I am going to my quiet place where I can be protected. I am so loved.

--Erica--