Category: Uncategorized

Two-minute read.

Rejoicing with people often seems harder than weeping with them. Envy over another’s good fortune can make celebrating their blessing difficult. However, when someone suffers a loss or deep heartache, sitting with them in their sadness to alleviate the loneliness that comes with pain doesn’t take as much effort. Suffering people tug at our heartstrings, evoking empathy and a desire to lessen their pain.

During my single years, I hated going to weddings. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, the ceremony emphasized my loneliness and made rejoicing difficult. Bitterness would take root, and I would have to battle not to let it grow and flourish. Desiring a mate myself, I struggled with loneliness. Sitting alone in church, Sunday after Sunday, watching couples sit side by side, nothing made me feel lonelier than the service.

However, comforting a friend going through a breakup didn’t challenge me as much because I could relate to the pain of loneliness and rejection. Fast forward to the present day, and I’ve learned a lot about relationships. Now I know, some of the most miserable people live in loveless marriages, and some of the happiest live single lives. We never truly understand the inner workings of another’s life because we don’t walk in their shoes.

Now, when someone has something to rejoice over, I do it gladly. Suffering takes a toll on everyone, each of us dealing with unseen struggles. Whoever you meet today has a hidden battle. No one has a carefree life. The Lord told us we would have trouble in this world, but take heart: He overcame them for us (John 16:33). So, rejoicing when we have opportunities to rejoice taps into the hope of the Savior. In Him, we have all we need to rejoice when people rejoice and weep when they weep.

Journal Questions:

When have you had trouble rejoicing with someone?

In what ways does weeping with someone seem more manageable?

Who has exemplified rejoicing and weeping with others well in your life?

Joyful Application:

Find someone to rejoice with today and share in their joy.

Two-minute read.

“Praise God!”

Thanking the Lord for the work He does in our lives causes us to shout for joy. Successful surgeries, safe travels, reconciled relationships, healthy babies, divine provision, miraculous healings, new faith commitments, from big to small actions, we can shout for joy at God’s work in our lives. Leaning into the joy of the Lord for strength, we will find it and discover a million plus one reasons to sing the Savior’s praises.

God delivers us from our problems, and when He does, we can’t help but praise Him. Miracles unfold when we trust and believe. Life’s uncertainty brings us to our knees. Often, we wonder why things happen, but if those struggles didn’t occur, would we turn to the Creator for help? How can we have a relationship with someone we don’t seek?

One sermon illustration always comes to mind when discussing deliverance. A recovering alcoholic asks his pastor a question.

“Why doesn’t God take my desire to drink away?

“Well, what do you do when you feel like drinking?”

“I get on my knees and pray.”

“Would you get on your knees if you didn’t want a drink?”

Most of us wouldn’t. When we think we have things under control, we typically don’t get on our knees. During my single years, I would desperately cry out to God for a mate. Then, when someone came into my life, I thought the Lord had answered my prayer. I promptly forgot the Savior, and the new guy became my priority, until the relationship failed and I found myself once again back on my knees. The transformation occurred when I kept the Lord as my priority, especially when I met a potential mate. As I kept God first in my life, my relationships became healthier, and I realized the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:12: “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Tie yourself to the Savior, rely on Him in all circumstances, live in His joy, shout His praises, and gain His strength.

Journal Questions:

When did you shout praises to the Lord last?

What brings you to your knees before God?

In what ways can you strengthen your relationships by adding the third cord of Jesus?

Joyful Application:

List ten reasons to shout praises of joy to God.

Two-minute read.

“Chara,” the original Hebrew word for joy, means rejoicing, happiness, gladness, filled with joy.[1] An Angel proclaimed Jesus’s entrance into the world. A bold announcement of the gospel, the baby in the manger came to change the world, lighting the darkness and sharing the truth. On that day, so long ago, the best news we will ever receive began its trek through the ages, generation after generation sharing the story of Christ’s birth.

As a shepherd on a hill, the stars shining in the night and the angels appearing would scare me. But heavenly hosts quickly assured the men, “Fear not, I bring you good news.” Only divine intervention would calm my nerves in such a climactic moment. A new era of peace and salvation came with the babe in the manger, as an angelic choir sang praises to God as the story unfolded.

Joy, unspeakable Joy

An overflowing well

No tongue can tell

Joy, unspeakable joy

Rises in my soul

Never lets me go

Christ Tomlin[2]

Traveling over Christmas, Ron and I attended Family Church Marco. Within their walls, I heard Chris Tomlin’s version of Joy to the World for the first time. As the chords of the guitar began, the worship leader’s voice led us through the lyrics, and joy filled my heart as I thought of the birth of the Savior, my lifeline, my everything. Without Christ, I can’t live, but with Him, I can do all things through the One who strengthens me.

As we celebrate the Savior’s birth, listen to the words of your favorite Christmas hymn and let it seep into your soul. Fill your heart with the love of Christ, dispelling all fears and anxieties, and letting your soul overflow with the divine love that entered the world that starry night so long ago.

Journal Questions:

What makes you fearful this holiday season?

In what ways does Jesus’s birth fill your heart with joy?

How can you celebrate Jesus’s birth in a fresh, new way this year?

Joyful Application:

Sing joyful praises to the Lord with the angelic hosts!

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[1] NIV Exhaustive Concordance Dictionary Copyright © 2015 by Zondervan.

[2] https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/joy-to-the-world-unspeakable-joy-chris-tomlin/

Two-minute read.

God changes circumstances; He turns our mourning into dancing and our sackcloth into gladness. Around the holidays, everything intensifies. Whatever the difficulty, it gets magnified with the pressure that we all feel between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Starting on Black Friday, the race to buy the perfect present begins. Lists get made, invites get accepted, and the actual reason for the season gets forgotten in the hustle and bustle of creating the best December 25^th possible.

For many people, holidays emphasize what they don’t have. The loss of loved ones God called home becomes more pronounced as people experience the first holiday without them. Financial pressures make it difficult to celebrate the Baby Jesus. A health diagnosis makes everything else trivial. On and on the list goes of things that cause us mourning. Finding joy during bleak times seems impossible, much less turning it into dancing.

With Jesus, we can experience joy, despite our circumstances. Aligning our hearts with His helps us gain an eternal perspective. Nothing in the world can separate us from the love of the Savior. Loved ones called home to heaven wait in God’s glory for our reunion. Brothers and sisters in Christ have the hope of eternity, understanding that the things of this world will pass away, but the things of God never will.

As impossible as it may seem, the Lord does turn our mourning into dancing. Clothing us with gladness from the Holy Spirit helps us focus on Jesus. The more we submit our lives to God, the more we will find His joy. Keeping all His promises, the Creator knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

Mourning comes with life, but so does dancing. If we don’t have one, we can’t appreciate the other. Gaze upon the Savior today, asking for His peace and joy. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your pain, healing you from within your soul. With shouts of glee, our mourning becomes dancing as God clothes us with gladness.

Journal Questions:

How has God turned your mourning into dancing?

In what ways has God clothed you in gladness?

What can you do today to celebrate all God has done for you?

Joyful Application:

Turn on your favorite worship song and allow it to soothe your soul, bring joy to your heart, and get your feet dancing.

Two-minute read.

Prioritizing God, the psalmist shows his loyalty through praise and obedience. Striving to love the Lord first and foremost, the writer ignores temptation, living for the Father his life’s goal. With the Creator as his right hand, the author finds stability in God’s goodness, grace, and instruction. Anyone who places their faith in Jesus, trusting His promises and living by His commands, will find a centered life on solid ground.

In this world, people make a lot of money helping others find balance in their lives. But balanced lives don’t exist; something always rocks the boat. Sometimes you have more joy than sorrow, other times sadness carries more weight. In work and family, one must always sacrifice for the other. And relationally, prioritizing the Lord often gets waylaid by pressures of life. Last week, I missed a day of my yearly Bible reading plan and didn’t even realize I hadn’t given the Savior my full attention. Life happens, distractions occur, and we don’t know we’re tilting in one direction or another, never quite reaching a balance.

However, we can live centered lives focused on Jesus. Like a true north, revolving our lives around the Savior gives us a haven. When life pulls us in one direction or another, we have a secure place to return and find stability. Realizing I missed a day of reading, returning to my solid routine allowed me to catch up and re-center my life. Jesus doesn’t move, but we veer away from Him. Turning back to the Lord, He eagerly awaits our reconnection.

Center your life on Christ. Connect with Him through praise and obedience. Find stability for the journey as you build an unbreakable connection with the Savior. Unbalanced lives remain unshaken when they center them around God’s Son.

Journal Questions:

How does God give you stability in your life?

Where do you feel out of balance today?

How does centering your life around Jesus provide you with stability?

Joyful Application:

Center your life around Jesus today with joyful praise and obedience.

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.