'joy' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?” vs. 9 Psalm 30:6-12 This psalmist wrote that the Lord had given him great prosperity, and that his wealth was a source of great stability. It’s a situation that many of us can identify with. Simply by virtue of where we live and an economy that multiplies portfolios even while we sleep, we’ve become accustomed to…
Daily Devotions
For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” vs. 5 Psalm 30:1-5 The psalmist had an intimate relationship with the Lord, the kind of connection that a child might have with a parent. Within the context of that relationship, the psalmist experienced all the estrangements and intimacies that are felt in any healthy family. The times of isolation were balanced by tenderness…
Daily Devotions
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” vs. 6 Psalm 1:4-6 The psalmist was certainly no nihilist, i.e. one who believes that life is meaningless and that there are no eternal values. Rather, he had a strong conviction that there is a right way to live, a way that is looked over and protected by the Lord. He also believed that there was another way, one that was pretty…
Daily Devotions
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” vs. 11 John 15:9-12 These words are said in the context of Jesus’ last conversation with the disciples and indicate that he was well-pleased with them, and that their presence brought him joy. We know that feeling, that sense of satisfaction that a parent can have in looking around a festival table at the gathered faces of children…
Daily Devotions
‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” vs. 12 1 Corinthians 6:12-15 One of the first reactions people have to the gospel of grace is, “Wow, if all my sins have been forgiven in Christ, I am free to do whatever I please.” When Paul heard that reaction, he went apoplectic. That attitude makes a sacrilege of the gospel! It…
Daily Devotions
When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and theyspoke in tongues and prophesied—” vs. 6 Acts 19:1-7 When Paul encountered disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus he convinced them that their baptism was lacking. When he then baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues. Luke’sdescription of this event has provided the impetus for what has been called thePentecostal movement.…
Daily Devotions
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” vss. 6-7 John 1:6-8 As the gospel writers retold the stories about John the Baptist, they all refer to his baptismal ministry in the wilderness and his interaction with Herod, an encounter that eventually led to his death. But the gospel writer John also writes that the Baptizer was sent from God…
Daily Devotions
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” vs. 10 Isaiah 61:8-11 The prophet’s testimony is exactly what we need to hear as we move through this second week of Advent Toward Pink Candle Sunday. He used…
Daily Devotions
So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” vs. 29 Mark 13:24-31 We don’t need to be particularly alert to know that Christmas is near. Black Friday with all its sales and promotions has come and gone. All the best trees have already disappeared from the well-lit lots on the strategic corners near shopping centers. Yards are being decorated with blow-up sleighs and reindeer–men and women are risking their…
Daily Devotions
Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance…” vs. 15 Psalm 89:15-18 There’s something to be said for familiarity in worship. While it is true that the old hymns can seem boring and often lack the spirited tempo of contemporary music, simply dropping traditional liturgies in favor of those that change from week to week doesn’t always make our hearts sing. The psalmist knew from experience the joy that…
Daily Devotions
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…” vss. 3-4 Romans 5:1-5 Paul was indomitable! While he obviously enjoyed the peace of heart and mind that were a by-product of faith in Christ Jesus, he also rejoiced in his sufferings. It wasn’t that he was a masochist, but he had come to know that suffering is a part of life, and that it can’t…
Daily Devotions
Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” vs. 3 Psalm 100:1-3 The psalmist was full of joy at being alive, and he regularly joined his faith community in worship as they filled the air with songs of praise and thanksgiving. Everything he knew and loved had come from the Lord–even his own life had been a gift of God. Even now,…