Author: Beth Morrison

Two-minute read.

God delights in His people, rejoicing with gladness, covering us in love, and singing for joy. Every sinner who chooses the Lord causes a celebration in the heavens. The Creator doesn’t want any to perish and grieves when people turn from Him. But nothing makes the Almighty happier than one of His children coming to Him with an open heart and a receptive spirit. A mighty warrior, God has the power to deliver us from sin and our enemies.

^“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once, they left their nets and followed him.”

Matthew 4:18-22

While walking along, the Savior sees two brothers going about their daily busy. When He calls out to them, Simon and Andrew immediately drop their nets and follow Jesus. The revolution began with that one act of obedience. Forming a team of twelve, Christ’s disciples learned to connect with God, loving Him and others through the example Jesus set. First, the fisherman had to believe before they could follow.

Jesus calls people to Him daily. As His followers, we have the privilege of sharing the Savior with all we meet. Many won’t want to talk about God or His Son, but some will. And when you plant seeds of the good news in their hearts, you never know how the Lord will grow them. But we do know He rejoices when the kingdom grows.

Live in the Lord’s love daily. Receive His fresh mercies in the morning, asking the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you. When we seek God, we find Him, and all we need to face whatever comes our way.

Journal Questions:

In what way have you rejoiced over someone placing faith in Jesus?

How quickly do you follow God when He calls you?

How can you share the gospel today?

Joyful Application:

Think about how God has changed your life and sing songs of joy.

Two-minute read.

 In the Parable of the Talents, found in Matthew 25:14-23, the master goes on a journey, leaving his servants in charge of his property. Upon his departure, the man gave talents to three servants: five to the first, two to the second, and one to the third. Talent, a measure of money, refers to silver or gold.[1] When the master returned, the first and second servants doubled his money, while the last one buried his talent and made nothing. Joyful over the profit made in his absence, the owner praised the wise servants who increased his wealth with today’s verse.

As servants of the Lord, one day, He will return, and we will give an account of our actions. If we follow God’s commands, we will grow His kingdom. However, if we bury our treasures and do nothing with them, nothing grows. Everyone wants to hear the Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Bringing joy to the Almighty through our actions requires us to manage our blessings well.

Lately, the Holy Spirit has increased my generosity. While getting a drink at Starbucks, I felt compelled to pay for the person’s order in the car behind me. Scrolling through social media, I saw a post from a nonprofit organization that supports moms and their babies. In need of diapers and other necessities, I felt prompted to place an order from their wish list. And when the owner of the store where I rent a booth came by during an event, I had the immediate urge to give her my latest Christmas devotion. Every one of those acts came from a divine nudge that I followed. As we draw closer to the Savior, we become more sensitive to His prompts and obey quickly.

Obeying the Lord refreshes our souls and brings joy to our hearts. One day, we’ll hear the longed-for words from Jesus, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Journal Questions:

When have you done something that makes you feel God’s pleasure?

How have you managed the resources God gives you?

How can you become more sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings?

Joyful Application:

Tune in to the Spirit’s promptings today and follow His nudges.

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[1] https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/38373/in-the-parable-of-the-talents-matthew-25-how-did-the-servants-trade-theirtal#:~:text=In%20New%20Testament%20times%2C%20it,years’%20wages%20for%20a%20labourer.

Two-minute read.

Receiving news that Gaius, a believer living faithfully for the Savior, encourages John. When people walk in the truth of Jesus’s teachings, it encourages spiritual leaders and the Lord. Believers experience the blessings of God’s promises when they obey His commands. Relationships require participation and give-and-take between both parties that bind us together. Our Maker expects us to choose His way over ours. When we do, we bless Him and those who teach us.

“Times that by 400,” my pastor’s wife said when we discussed the challenges a pastor faces. Since becoming a devotional writer and dedicating my life to ministry, I’ve developed a more profound respect for spiritual leaders. Learning about the trials and tribulations that others face burdens my heart for them. Pastors know their congregation’s battles and keep them in constant prayer.

Nothing encourages me more than receiving a message from a reader sharing their victory over challenging situations because of their faith in Jesus. John felt encouraged to learn about Gaius’s commitment and dedication to the way. And pastors enjoy the same refreshment when members of their flock follow God’s leading and move mountains in their lives.

Following Jesus requires a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute choice. In every situation, we must decide to seek the Lord’s guidance and do what Christ would do, not how our human nature urges us to respond. A few months ago, I had an unexpected attack, the person giving me the rundown of all the ways I fell short of the mark. Unable to leave, I prayed for guidance from the Lord. Prompted to remain silent, I let the individual rant, not saying the mean, hurtful things my flesh wanted to say. Looking back on that brief moment in time, I’m thankful God helped me remain quiet, letting the ugly words roll off me, not responding in kind.

Living faithfully for Jesus requires His help and our participation. As we walk in the Lord’s ways, we’ll encourage others to do the same, and our leaders to persevere.

Journal Questions:

When have you encouraged someone with your faithfulness to the Lord?

In what ways do other people’s faithfulness encourage you?

How can you participate in your relationship with God today?

Joyful Application:

Let someone else’s faithfulness encourage your heart today and bring you joy.

Two-minute read.

When my sister died, my brother couldn’t leave the graveside after the service. Sitting alone beside her casket, the thought of lowering her body into the ground and leaving her overwhelmed him. A sorrowful moment, her death devastated us all. Diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer the day after Christmas, she battled hard for a year and a half, dying Aug. 18, 2001. We had the same father, but different mothers. Her mom died of the same disease almost 37 years to the date, on Aug. 6, 1964.

Less than a month after we buried my sister, 9-11 happened. Terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center’s twin towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Two thousand nine hundred seventy-seven people, not including the hijackers, didn’t go home to their families that night. Our country experienced a devastating loss that cut to the core. As I lay in bed that night, afraid of what would happen next, tears flowing down my cheeks, I thought of my sister, and for the first time since her passing, I thanked God she didn’t have to live through the horror of the attack.

Soft-hearted, my sister possessed a kind soul. She felt other people’s pain and cared deeply for them. Always loving, Lorn lived with a quiet grace, a tinkling laugh, and an easy smile.

Twenty-four years later, the seeds planted in tears when my sister died have become shouts of joy that I had such a fantastic woman in my life to help guide and direct my path. Knowing we will meet again in heaven and that the love we shared never died helps me persevere on tough days. Her last words on Earth give me hope for what’s to come.

“It’s so beautiful,” Lorn said as she gazed into heaven before taking her last breath. What we sow in tears, we will reap in shouts of joy.

Journal Questions:

How have you sown in tears?

In what ways have your tears turned into shouts of joy?

What pain do you need to give God today?

Joyful Application:

Let your tears become shouts of joy as you give your pain to Jesus and let Him heal your wounds.

Two-minute read.

“Remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength.”

Wrapping up our small group session, the leader said those nine words in closing, and they immediately struck a chord with my heart. I had never heard the verse shared that way before. As many times as I’ve read the Bible, the scripture had escaped me. Coming home, I looked up the passage and began studying it; unbeknownst to our leader, his words changed my life. When we live communally with others, sharing the blessings God gives us, it brings joy to our hearts and strengthens our souls.

Becoming spiritually rooted in God’s presence and increasingly relying on Him gives us joy that produces enduring strength. We can’t gain strength from anything we do, only from a God-given joy. Hope and forgiveness connect us to the Creator. Letting go of past sins gives us a do-over, putting the Savior’s teaching into practice in our lives, and foregoing our selfish desires. The more we look for God’s blessings, worship Him, and let scripture take root in our hearts, the more divine joy we will experience.

“I’m leaning into God’s promises,” a friend said when talking about an uncontrollable situation in her life. Knowing she had done everything she could to help the people involved, she left the rest in the Lord’s hands, trusting His promises and that He loved them more than she ever could. Memorizing, meditating, and applying scripture in your life helps it take root. The more seeds you plant, the deeper your relationship with the Savior will become. As life unfolds, you will quickly discover that God has given us promises to apply to everything that comes our way.

Live in the joy of the Lord by letting His promises take root in your heart. Find verses that apply to your current situation and plant them in your soul. Ask the Savior to fill your being with His divine joy and lavish the strength you receive from it.

Journal Questions:

How have you discovered God’s joy?

In what ways does the joy of the Lord give you strength?

In what situation do you need God’s promises today?

Joyful Application:

Ask God for His divine joy and the strength that comes from it.

Two-minute read.

God created life and gave it to all creatures. Living in His presence brings joy and pleasures we can find no other way. Nothing fills our hearts more than experiencing the Almighty’s love and sharing it with others. As we gain more knowledge and understanding from God, life takes on a new hue. Things that seem impossible become possible. Hurts that wound us receive healing. We discover that the Lord does use all things for the good, even the most unimaginable things.

Watching “Amish Grace,” which details the tragic Amish school shooting in Lancaster, PA, in 2006, inspired me. When five of their young girls died at the hands of a mentally ill individual, the Amish immediately put God’s word into practice. Before the sun went down, they forgave the shooter and embraced his family into their lives. Accepting God’s decision to call their daughters home, they submitted to His control of their lives, knowing their loved ones now rested in the arms of Jesus.

One mother, struggling to forgive, nurturing hatred in her heart because of the loss, didn’t want to submit to God. But then a survivor’s testimony changed her heart.

“He asked Mary Beth to pray for him. She told him she would, even though she knew he was going to shoot her. And then she did it, she prayed for him.”

As the grieving mother listened to her daughter’s last actions on earth, she had no choice but to forgive because her daughter had. Mary Beth’s mother’s heart softened, and in that moment, she laid her hurt at the foot of the cross, and healing began.

Lay your burdens at the foot of the cross. Acknowledge the Creator and His sovereignty as He leads you on the path of life.

Journal Questions:

How do you experience God’s presence in your life?

In what ways does falling Jesus give you a more abundant life?

What do you need to lay down at the foot of the cross today?

Joyful Application:

Give God whatever burdens your heart today and ask Him for His divine joy.

Two-minute read.

Saying the right thing at the right time takes divine assistance. Only when we connect to the Creator can we give an apt answer. Solomon writes a lot about our words, not speaking in anger, even fools appear wise when they say nothing. Using kind, honest words brings healing. We must listen before we speak. And we should consider the consequences of our words.

“Plan, prepare, and pray,” I said to a friend when he asked me about retirement advice. Dealing with a medical issue, the doctor recommends that he quit his current job. Working for a small-business owner, they have a close-knit family of employees who love each other deeply. For my friend, leaving means losing that connection and moving into a new chapter of life. He didn’t know how to end one chapter and begin the next, and so he asked my advice.

As I leaned against the stove in our kitchen, the smell of cinnamon and cloves from my crockpot filled my senses, and I listened and prayed as my friend talked. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, I could see how he agonized over his decision, not wanting to let his friends down, but also not wanting to burden them with his issues. His face showed his distress; I felt the weight of the moment. In the middle of writing this devotional when he stopped by, today’s verse popped into my head, and I prayed for an apt answer.

“As a woman of faith, my best advice is to pray and ask God for direction.”

How could I give an apt answer without divine assistance? Asking God for help allows us to say the right thing at the right time. Because the Lord knows the other person’s heart, He knows what they need to hear. Pray first, then speak what God lays on your heart.

Journal Questions:

When have you received an apt answer at the right time?

How has the Lord helped you to answer wisely?

In what area do you need divine guidance today?

Joyful Application:

Bring joy to someone today by asking God for an apt answer to give them when needed.

Two-minute read.

Paul mentions hope more in Romans than in any of his other letters. “God of hope” means the Creator who gives us hope through Jesus. Because of the Savior’s actions, we can look to tomorrow with anticipation of the coming glory. The Lord will accomplish all He wants to do through us, working out our problems. Trusting in the Almighty produces hope as we lean into His promises and expect them to come true in our lives. Believing in Christ gives us hope that His grace will continue to grow in our lives, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who prompts us.

When difficulties in life happen, we have a choice: we can become bitter or get better. Jesus, the Great Healer, wants us to overcome our struggles and allow Him to heal our hearts. None of us knows the battles we will face when we roll out of bed in the morning, but we do know the God who does. Before we enter a skirmish, Christ already knows how He will help us through it. In our pain, the Lord heals us. As we lay our hurts at the foot of the cross, divine comfort helps us persevere.

Often, we don’t consciously decide to become bitter; it grows from a small seed over time. When my father died, I became bitter, ruminating in self-pity. Feeling sorry for myself because I no longer had a dad, I became resentful of anyone who did. The more I thought about what I didn’t have, the more bitter I became. Returning to Jesus, He began the healing process in me, removing the bitter root and replacing it with His love.

Let Paul’s prayer sink into your spirit. Allow God to fill you with all joy and peace, believing His promises and letting the Holy Spirit’s power help hope abound.

Journal Questions:

Describe how God’s promises give you hope?

When have you had to battle bitterness in your life?

How can Jesus heal your heart today?

Joyful Application:

Pray for people in your life who need hope and that they become better, not bitter.

Two-minute read.

When Jeremiah first received a message from God, he devoured its revelatory truth. Chosen by the Lord to prophesize to the people, Jeremiah served the Lord with all his heart, mind, body, and soul. Now the prophet wants divine justice for his enemies, asking God not to wait but to take vengeance in Jeremiah’s lifetime. However, the Lord doesn’t work on our timelines; He works on His. We can find encouragement in scripture to help us persevere when the Creator doesn’t do what we want, when we want.

Everyone has enemies we think deserve justice, but we see them only from a limited perspective. When we devour God’s word, allowing it to take root in our hearts, we will begin to see things differently. Divine intervention turns people’s lives around; enemies become friends when the Lord gets involved.

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

Abraham Lincoln

A man of faith, the United States’ 16^th president practiced what he preached. When elected to the highest office in the land, he appointed rivals to his cabinet, making them his political allies. Finding common ground with people who disagree with us paves the way for unity. When we agree on Christ as our Savior, we have a firm foundation for a hopeful future. Destroying our enemies by making them our friends honors Jesus, enlarges the kingdom, and allows for peace on earth.

Find delight in God’s word, let it encourage your heart, and help you turn enemies into friends. Through Christ, all things become possible.

Journal Questions:

What happened to your heart when you discovered Jesus?

In what ways does God’s word encourage you?

How can you turn enemies into friends today?

Joyful Application:

Find a way to bring joy to an enemy today with words of kindness.

Two-minute read.

Detailing the Ark of the Covenant’s return to Jerusalem, when the Lord’s presence entered the city, the transformation of Jerusalem began. Once the Ark returned home, the people experienced God anew, as Moses had predicted that the Creator would choose a place for all His tribes to dwell. Splendor and majesty reign when the Almighty rules the city, strength and joy His gifts.

Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, the center of our city. The moment you place faith in God’s Son, He moves into the center of your soul, and transformation begins. As you encounter life changes, one day at a time, you will begin to understand divine splendor and majesty. The joy of the Lord becomes your strength as you pursue Him, producing life-giving fruit that enlarges the kingdom.

When God dwells in your heart, He fills you with His glory, honor, power, and joy. An awe-inspiring nature, developing a relationship with the Savior will introduce you to His wonders. Divine power encourages your soul, Christ’s gift to us through His Spirit.

Splendor and ma­jes­ty are be­fore You!
Strength and joy are in Your dwell­ing place!
Mercy and kind­ness, full of for­giv­eness!
Great are You, Lord, hon­ored and wor­thy of praise!

Splendor and Majesty; Ralph P. Merrifield and Leonard Smith

Praise the Lord for His splendor and majesty. Bask in His joy, gain God’s strength, and live in His victory. Submitting our lives to the Savior connects us to the divine gifts He offers. In Jesus, we find everything we need to win the day’s battles, lighting the world with our faith, glorifying the Almighty, and helping others discover what we have found. Worthy of all praise, Christ does for us what we can’t do for ourselves. In Him, we have eternal life.

Journal Questions:

How have you experienced God’s splendor and majesty?

How has the Lord transformed you with His Spirit?

How do you gain strength from the Lord?

Joyful Application:

Share the joy of the Lord with others by praising His splendor and majesty.