Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

When Paul was Saul, he thought he was doing the Lord's work by killing Christians.  I know.  Doesn't seem possible, yet that's how it was. Job's friends thought they knew best when preaching at Job, yet they were thorns in his side at a time when he really needed some good friends.   So how do we know when we are truly doing God's will?  How do we know when we are working for Him and not the enemy?  Yes, I believe it is that black and white.   Jesus Himself said we are either for Him, or against Him. So all of you “grey area" thinkers, listen up!   There are two forces at work in and around us at all times. One is Almighty God (what most call "good" but they don't attach the Lord to it).  The other is Satan.  I really hate capitalizing his name, but that's how it is spelled.  When you are born again, you now have spiritual discernment.  Without the Holy Spirit, we can't really discern right from wrong, good from evil, to the extent that we

I came upon a Scripture today that I wasn't familiar with.  It stood out and caught my eye. "But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god." Habakkuk 1:11b It got me thinking.  How many people go through life thinking that they don't need God, that they are strong enough to handle life on their own, thank you very much? Does this mean we are supposed to be a bunch of weaklings, with no backbone or strength of our own?  Not at all. Let's compare for a moment our own strength - even the strongest of the strong - against the strength and power of God.  This is ludicrous!  There is no comparison!   The One who holds not only us together, keeps this world spinning around, and controls everything in the universe by the power of His might, is Almighty.  He is omnipotent. Our "strength" is nowhere near how strong God is! When we admit our weakness, come to Him admitting that we need His strength in order to live a life that pleases Him, then we