SERVE GOD WITH JOY

[Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi]

Dearly Beloved,

SERVE GOD WITH JOY

“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything...” (Deuteronomy 28:47 NKJV).

The first fourteen verses of Deuteronomy chapter 28 are well known by many people because of the promises of God that are there. On the contrary, few people care to study the remaining fifty-four verses in the chapter because of the curses in those latter verses. However, those verses full of curses are warnings for anyone who does not want the curses to be his/her portion. Conspicuously, the main reason for the curses in those verses is disobedience to God, but there are other reasons for these curses as Moses warned the people of Israel. One of such reasons is not serving “God with joy and gladness of heart” for the abundance of His goodness.

If God can be good to us in many ways, then we have to appreciate Him by serving Him joyfully even if He does not do, or has not done, what we want Him to do for us. The consequence of not serving Him with joy is servitude to our enemies. Instead of promotion, demotion would be the lot of anyone who refuses to serve God joyfully. In other words, anyone who does not appreciate God may not enjoy more of the goodness of God, but will certainly be under the curse of God. The people of Israel that came out of Egypt are a good example of this. They grumbled against God on many occasions, and all of them (except Caleb and Joshua) could not enter the Promised Land (see Numbers 14:26-35).

This year is running to an end. Ponder about your life this year. Are you appreciative of God? Do you serve Him with joy, or you are full of grudges against Him because of what He has not done for you? Do not incur curses of God on yourself. Thank Him and serve Him with joy, and He will manifest Himself in your life.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).