The Joke’s On the Devil

I love a good joke, especially when it’s serious, and even more so when it’s on the devil.

Text for Today – Genesis 21:6 – And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

Have you ever heard a really good joke that evoked hilarious laughter?  Have you heard that same joke some time later, only to be laughing before the end?  Or have you ever tried to tell that same joke, only to begin laughing before you could finish it?  That’s the way faith is.  You don’t have to wait to the end to rejoice in your victory.  You serve a God Who knows the end from the beginning.

Daniel knew he would be safe in the den of lions.  The Hebrew children knew their God would deliver them from the burning fiery furnace.  The Psalmist declared that he knew the Lord would answer his prayers when he cried to God.  God has said that He would keep, heal, and deliver; NEVER that He would NOT.  And this is the kind of confidence we have in Him, that if He hears, He WILL do what we ask, even to the point of giving us the desire of our hearts.

So, remember, the joke’s on the devil.  You should already know the outcome before you enter the fight.  Laugh; laugh early; laugh often; the joy of the Lord is your strength.  The stronger you are, the more quickly you can win the battle against your enemy.  Knowing Who we know (Father, Son, Holy Ghost), knowing what we know (the Word of the living God), and knowing what we have (immutable covenant), we should quickly learn to laugh the moment an attack comes.  Once again, you already know the outcome.  How can we doubt our God, what He has said, or the eternal covenant He has set into place? 

The greater your joy, the stronger you are.  The stronger you are, the more quickly and more handily you can defeat your enemy at any given point.  You already know the outcome; it is fixed in covenant.  So, don’t wait to rejoice after you have experienced the victory.  Rejoice as soon as you begin the fight.  You see, the joke’s on the devil!

Manna for Today – Proverbs 4:20-23; 1 John 5:14-15; Psalm 37:4