May 31:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

No Dread, No Fear.
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."--Isaiah 41:10, NLT

IS JESUS TRUE?  Does He mean what He says?  Answer decidedly, Yes, every word.  Then if you have settled this, by faith claim every promise that He has made, and receive the blessing; for this acceptance by faith gives life to the soul.  You may believe that Jesus is true to you, even though you feel yourself to be the weakest and most unworthy of His children.--Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 517.

Words cannot describe the peace and joy possessed by him who takes God at His word.  Trials do not disturb him, slights do not vex him.  Self is crucified.  Day by day his duties may become more taxing, his temptations stronger, his trials more severe; but he does not falter; for he receives strength equal to his need.--Messages to Young People, 98.

Peace comes with dependence on divine power....

...Be cheerful, and praise the Lord for His loving-kindness.  That which you cannot understand, commit to Him.  He loves you and pities your every weakness.--Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 518.

Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour.  By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go.--The Ministry of Healing, 182.

May 30:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

In Christ's Overcoming Power.
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."--John 16:33, NKJV

SO LONG AS WE ARE in the world, we shall meet with adverse influences.  There will be provocations to test the temper; and it is by meeting these in a right spirit that the Christian graces are developed.  If Christ dwells in us, we shall be patient, kind, and forbearing, cheerful amid frets and irritations.  Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self, and grow into a noble heroism.  This is our allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer.  Each one has a personal battle to fight.  Not even God can make our characters noble or our lives useful, unless we become co-workers with Him. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory.--Gospel Workers, 477.

True happiness will be the result of every self-denial, every crucifixion of self.  One victory won, the next is more easily gained....God...wants all to be saved.  Man has light and opportunities, and if he will improve them he may overcome....

When a man is earnestly engaged day by day in overcoming the defects in his character, he is cherishing Christ in his soul-temple; the light of Christ is in him.  Under the bright beams of the light of Christ's countenance his entire being becomes elevated and ennobled.  He has the peace of heaven in his soul.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 345, 346.

              I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
                         Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,
                    which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day,
                    and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
                                                                                           --2 Timothy 4:7, 8, NKJV

May 29:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

The Joy of an Everlasting Friendship.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."--Matthew 14:27, NKJV

CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE the most cheerful and happy people that live.  They may have the consciousness that God is their Father and their everlasting friend....


...All who have indeed become acquainted, by experimental knowledge, with the love and tender compassion of our Heavenly Father will impart light and joy wherever they may be.  Their presence and influence will be to their associates as the fragrance of sweet flowers, because they are linked to God and heaven, and the purity and exalted loveliness of heaven are communicated through them to all that are brought within their influence.--Messages to Young People, 363.

Our Saviour was deeply serious and intensely in earnest, but never gloomy or morose.  The life of those who imitate Him will be full of earnest purpose; they will have a deep sense of personal responsibility.  Levity will be repressed; there will be no boisterous merriment, no rude jesting; but the religion of Jesus gives peace like a river.  It does not quench the light of joy; it does not restrain cheerfulness nor cloud the sunny, smiling face.--Steps to Christ, 120.

                                          "The Lord bless you and keep you;
                                   The Lord make His face shine upon you,
                                                  And be gracious to you;
                                    The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
                                                         And give you peace."
                              
                                       --Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV

May 28:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

The Earthly and Heavenly Church.
"Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah.  Therefore love truth and peace.' "--Zechariah 8:19, NKJV

OUR MEETINGS SHOULD be made intensely interesting.  They should be pervaded with the very atmosphere of heaven.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, 609.

They should be treated with the greatest solemnity and reverence, yet all the pleasantness possible should be brought into them.  They should not be prolonged till they become wearisome, for the impression thus made upon the minds of the youth will cause them to associate religion with all that is dry and uninteresting; and many will be led to cast their influence on the side of the enemy, who, if properly taught, would become a blessing to the world and to the church....The social meetings and all other religious exercises should be so planned and managed that they will be not only profitable, but so pleasant as to be positively attractive.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 174.

The church of God below is one with the church of God above.  Believers on the earth and the beings in heaven who have never fallen constitute one church.  Every heavenly intelligence is interested in the assemblies of the saints who on earth meet to worship God.  In the inner court of heaven they listen to the testimony of the witnesses for Christ in the outer court on earth, and the praise and thanksgiving from the worshipers below is taken up in the heavenly anthem, and praise and rejoicing sound through the heavenly court because Chirst has not died in vain for the fallen sons of Adam.  While angels drink from the fountainhead, the saints on earth drink of the pure streams flowing from the throne, the streams that make glad the city of our God.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, 366.

May 27:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

The Joy in Being Able to Give.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.--2 Corinthians 9:7, NKJV

GOD DESIGNS that the exercise of benevolence shall be purely voluntary...."God loveth a cheerful giver."  He is not pleased to have His treasury replenished with forced supplies.  The loyal hearts of His people, rejoicing in the saving truth for this time, will, through love and gratitude to Him for this precious light, be earnest and anxious to aid with their means in sending the truth to others.  The very best  manner in which to give expression to our love for our Redeemer is to make offerings to bring souls to the knowledge of the truth.  The plan of redemption was entirely voluntary on the part of our Redeemer, and it is the purpose of Christ that all our benevolence should be freewill offerings.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, 413.

Spiritual prosperity is closely bound up with Christian liberality.  The followers of Christ should rejoice in the privilege of revealing in their lives the beneficence of their Redeemer.  As they give to the Lord they have the assurance that their treasure is going before them to the heavenly courts.  Would men make their property secure?  Let them place it in the hands that bear the marks of the crucifixion.  Would they enjoy their substance?  Let them use it to bless the needy and suffering.  Would they increase their possessions?  Let them heed the divine injunction, "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."  Proverbs 3:9, 10.  Let them seek to retain possessions for selfish purposes, and it will be to their eternal loss.  But let their treasure be given to God, and from that moment it bears His inscription.  It is sealed with His immutability.--The Acts of the Apostles, 344.

May 26:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

Making Duty and Drudgery Noble.
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.--Romans 12:8, NLT

WHEN WE ARE TRULY consecrated to God, His love will abide in our hearts by faith, and we will cheerfully do our duty in accordance with the will of God.--Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 399.

True service links the lowliest of God's servants on earth with the highest of His servants in the courts above.--Messages to Young People, 72.

Even though your work may seem to be a drudgery, you may ennoble it by the way in which you do it.  Do it as unto the Lord.  Do it cheerfully, and with heaven-born dignity.  It is the noble principles which are brought into the work that make it wholly acceptable in the Lord's sight.--Messages to Young People, 72.

We must sow beside all waters, keeping our souls in the love of God, working while it is day, and using the means the Lord has given us to do whatever duty comes next.  Whatever our hands find to do, we are to do it with cheerfulness; whatever sacrifice we are called upon to make, we are to make it cheerfully.--Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 423.

                    And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
                                knowing that from the Lord you will receive
                      the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
                              
                                                        --Colossians 3:23, 24, NKJV

May 25:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

Cheerfulness Reflects the Beauty of the Soul.
A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.--Proverbs 15:13. NLT

ALL MAY POSSESS a cheerful countenance, a gentle voice, a courteous manner, and these are elements of power.--Education, 240.

The human countenance itself is a mirror of the soul, read by others, and having a telling influence upon them for good or evil.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, 522.

The faces of those who are benevolent and sympathetic will shine with the luster of true goodness, while those who do not cherish kindly thoughts and unselfish motives express in their faces the sentiments cherished in their hearts.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 63.

Christ abiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments.  Truth is written there.  The sweet peace of heaven is revealed.  There is expressed a habitual gentleness, a more than human love.--Christ's Object Lessons, 102.

Love imparts to its possessor grace, propriety, and comeliness of deportment.  Love illuminates the countenance and subdues the voice; it refines and elevates the entire man.  It brings him into harmony with God, for it is a heavenly attribute.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 559.

                                          If you want to enjoy life
                                     and see many happy days,
                               keep your tongue from speaking evil
                                     and your lips from telling lies.
                                  Turn away from evil and do good.
                           Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
                                                                  --1 Peter 3:10, 11, NLT

May 24:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

Enter Into the Joy of Others.
"For this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life.  He was lost, but now he is found."  So the party began.--Luke 15:24, NLT

IN HIS RESTLESS YOUTH the prodigal looked upon his father as stern and severe.  How different his conception of him now! So those who are deceived by Satan look upon God as hard and exacting....His law they regard as a restriction upon men's happiness, a burdensome yoke from which they are glad to escape.  But he whose eyes have been opened by the love of Christ will behold God as full of compassion. He does not appear as a tyrannical, relentless being, but as a father longing to embrace his repenting son.  The sinner will claim with the Psalmist, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him."  Psalm 103:13.--Christ's Object Lessons, 204.

The very first reaching out of the heart after God is known to Him.  Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it.  Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul.--Christ's Object Lessons, 206.

Arise and go to your Father.  He will meet you a great way off.--Christ's Object Lessons, 206.

He will bring you into His banqueting house, and His banner over you shall be love.  (Song of Solomon 2:4).--Christ's Object Lessons, 206.

And heaven and earth shall unite in the Father's song of rejoicing: "For this My son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."--Christ's Object Lessons, 207.

                            "I will answer them before they even call to me.
                                 While they are still talking about their needs,
                                      I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"
                                                                                      --Isaiah 65:24, NLT

May 23:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

He Rejoices When a Prodigal Returns.
The father said to his servants, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry."--Luke 15:22, 23, NKJV

LITTLE DID THE GAY, thoughtless youth, as he went out from his father's gate, dream of the ache and longing left in that father's heart.  When he danced and feasted with his wild companions, little did he think of the shadow that had fallen on his home.  And now as with weary and painful steps he pursues the homeward way, he knows not that one is watching for his return.  But while he is yet "a great way off" the father discerns his form.  Love is of quick sight.  Not even the degradation of the years of sin can conceal the son from the father's eyes.  He "had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck" in a long, clinging, tender embrace.

The father will permit no contemptuous eye to mock at his son's misery and tatters.  He takes from his own shoulders the broad, rich mantle, and wraps it around the son's wasted form....The father holds him close to his side, and brings him home.  No opportunity is given him to ask a servant's place.  He is a son, who shall be honored with the best the house affords, and whom the waiting men and women shall respect and serve.

The father said to his servants, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.  And they began to be merry."--Christ's Object Lessons, 203, 204.

                       "Likewise, I say to you,
              there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
                     over one sinner who repents."
                                                            --Luke 15:10, NKJV

May 22:  Cheerfulness and Contentment.

A Pleasure for God.
"God will not cast away the blameless, nor will He uphold the evildoers.  He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, and your lips with rejoicing."--Job 8:20, 21, NKJV

YOU WILL EVER FIND the true Christian a marked cheerfulness, a holy, happy confidence in God, a submission to His providences, that is refreshing to the soul.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, 377.

Said Christ: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  We are not to make crosses for ourselves, by wearing sackcloth, by pinching our bodies, or by denying ourselves wholesome, nourishing food.  We are not to shut ourselves in monasteries, away from the world, and do no good to our fellow beings, thinking this is the cross of Christ; neither are we required to expose health and life unnecessarily, nor to go mourning up the hill of Christian life, feeling it a sin to be cheerful, contented, happy, and joyful.  These are all self-made crosses, but not the cross of Christ.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, 626.

Christians who gather up gloom and sadness to their souls, and murmur and complain, are giving to others a false representation of God and the Christian life.  They give the impression that God is not pleased to have His children happy, and in this they bear false witness against our heavenly Father.--Steps to Christ,--116.

                         Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances,
                                       for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
                                                                                       --1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT