Tag Archives: joy

May 28 – I Love the Lord

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Psalms 111-118

Sometimes I read a psalm and am surprised at how it reflects my own thoughts as though I had written it myself. These psalms I read today have me praising God.

Psalm 112 says we who fear the Lord are blessed. We who love to obey Him are blessed. To the world, that seems backwards. Fear God? What’s to fear in our heavenly Santa Claus who wags his tail like a puppy when we call him, and wants only to please us? Obey Him? Doesn’t God want me to be happy and strong and follow my heart? It’s my life. What’s right for me doesn’t have to be right for you. Right?

I am reminded that what the world has to offer in its definition of happiness is shallow and an imitation of that which God gives through His Son. This Holy God and Judge is to be feared. He demands perfect obedience.

Yet this Holy God wants to and will bless us with heavenly blessings when we obey Him, by accepting His Son as our Savior. It’s a blessing and joy the world can’t understand or manufacture.

I am blessed by God Himself. Let it be known that I love the Lord!

May 23 – Joy in the Mourning

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2 Samuel 24, I Chronicles 21-22, Psalm 30

Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:4-5)

I don’t know what losses you have had in your lifetime. I have buried loved ones and it hurts. The thing about death is, it’s irreversible. Our loved ones are gone from this world and they are not coming back.

I’ve wept more than one night over the deaths of my parents and nephew. Weeping for a night followed by joy in the morning doesn’t necessarily describe my experience. Yet the psalmist says it like it’s a given.

As I realize joy is a gift God wants to give me, I am convicted. David goes on to say God is his helper, God turned David’s mourning into dancing, and God removed David’s sackcloth, the outward expression of David’s sadness, and instead God clothed David with gladness.

God did that. David didn’t have to manufacture some positive thoughts or light a candle. David only had to let God do His thing.

And so do I.

 

May 7 – I’m Quite The Bowler

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2 Samuel 7, I Chronicles 17

Years ago I was having lunch with several co-workers in the teacher’s lounge of the school where we taught. One of our fellow teachers walked in a little late, and quietly sat on the couch instead of at the table with the rest of us. The look on her face told us her morning had not gone well.

The night before, I had read an article in our local newspaper about this woman’s husband bowling his second perfect game of the year. It was a nice article, and included a picture of him that took up almost half a page.

So I said, “That was a nice write-up in the paper about (John). He’s quite the bowler, isn’t he?”

She glared at me and replied, “I’M quite the bowler!” She gathered her things and abruptly left the lounge.

King David wanted to build a temple for God. It was a passionate desire. But God had other plans. He told David that another king, David’s son, would have that privilege instead.

What was David’s reaction? He was excited for his son. He gave thanks to God. He didn’t express a hint of jealousy or disappointment.

It’s really not human nature to sit back and let someone else get noticed for something you know you can do at least as well. Maybe you complete a project at work, and your boss takes the credit. Or you witness faithfully to your neighbor, only to have someone else pray with her to accept the Lord.

Maybe you sat first chair clarinet every year from eighth grade through college, only to have your dad tell you how talented your sister is. (Sorry, Kathy, for all those years of resentment. The truth is you ARE a talented woman. I am so proud of you, and love being your big sister.)

I think having David’s attitude is much more pleasing to God than mine or my co-worker’s attitudes were. Don’t waste time being jealous of anyone for any reason. Jealousy is a sin, and it keeps us from the joyful relationship God wants us to have with Him.

I’ve come to realize that the only praise I want to hear is God, seeing me wearing the righteousness of His Son, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Hard Work and Laughter

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The rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem is one of my favorite Old Testament accounts. (Nehemiah 3-6) The Jews worked together, each taking a section, and the wall went up in 52 days. I hope they had fun.

When I was a teenager, my family would take part in the semi-annual church clean-up. Like many churches, the members of the fellowship would get together on a Saturday to paint and repair, spring clean and plant flowers around our church property. There were jobs for all of us to do, no matter what age we were. I remember laughter and teasing, a covered dish lunch, the smell of Endust and newly cut grass. We had fun.

Was it like that for the Jews as they worked shoulder to shoulder with their neighbors on rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem? Did they make it a game, a contest to see who could carry the largest boulder? Did they joke with each other? Did they stop for lunch together?

The Bible tells us bullies tried to intimidate them into stopping their work. Did the Jews talk about Sanballat and Tobiah as they took a break from their work in the hot sun over a cool drink of water? Did they encourage one another to ignore the threats? I know they determined to protect each other.

I think this is a picture of what our churches should look like. People working shoulder to shoulder to share Jesus in the neighborhood, encouraging one another, supporting one another.

And having fun doing it.

Does the neighborhood surrounding your church property see a group of people who love one another and who enjoy serving God together? I hope they see a pick-up soccer game in the parking lot once in a while. I hope they hear laughter and occasionally smell the fragrance of hamburgs on the grill. I hope they see a building cared for and loved by the people who call it their church home. And I hope they are drawn to your fellowship because of it.

The Jews rebuilt that wall in 52 days. Pretty amazing. God has amazing things for our church fellowships to do, too. May he find us faithful doing his work with joy.

Joy

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I am a sinner. And if I read Scripture correctly, so are you. Romans 8:28 says ALL have sinned so I’m pretty sure that includes us both.

Sometimes the guilt that comes from sinning is overwhelming. David, in Psalm 32:3 says: When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away and I groaned all day long.

Have you experienced that intense grief over what you’ve done? The sad thing is that some people get used to living in that state. Conviction turns to grief which leads to depression which convinces that person they deserve to be miserable. And they get so used to feeling miserable they are a bit afraid to try joy.

Someone once said, I’ve been down so long it looks like up to me.

What a tragic place to live.

Here’s what David says in verse 5 of Psalm 32:

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord”.  And you forgave me!  ALL MY GUILT IS GONE!!!

David goes on to say that God is his hiding place, his protection from trouble, his song of victory. David reminds us God promises to guide us and watch over us. Unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord! Then David tells us to rejoice! Be glad, all who obey God.

We have reason to live in joy. My heart breaks for those who choose to live in great sadness because of a sin they refuse to confess, to let go. Understand that Jesus is waiting with open arms to take you in. He’s already died for that sin. He is just asking you to accept his forgiveness.

I pray that today will be the last day you live with the guilt of unconfessed sin. Let God wash you clean of whatever it is. Repent. Then you can say with David, All my guilt is gone! 

Father, I pray for people who are overwhelmed with guilt. I pray that guilt will drive them right into your waiting arms. I pray that they will confess, repent, turn from that sin and know the release that comes from being washed in your blood, wearing your righteousness, forgiven. I pray for those who have lived with that guilt for years, maybe decades. I pray that today they will come to you and know the joy that comes from giving it all to you. Thank you for what you are going to do in hearts and lives today.

 

December 24

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Hebrews 10:19-12:29

The “Hall of Faith” is included in the passages we read today. We saw the accounts of the people listed here for ourselves as we read through the Bible in 2013. People like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses whose stories many of us were taught since we were children. Others we read about who might not have been as familiar like Rahab, Barak, Jephthah and others who also lived lives of faith. I hope you can identify people in your own life who display faith in God as they go about the day-to-day. And I pray they would add your name to their own list.

Think about Joseph’s faith – or Mary’s. What we are celebrating today and tomorrow was something that could have resulted in great shame for Joseph and death for Mary had they not had faith that what God told them was true. Think about the early church and the faith they demonstrated by being baptized publicly to identify themselves with Jesus. 

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. The reality of the blessings that result from having faith in God should not be denied.

What does having faith look like in each of us on the Christmas Eve, 2013? Hebrews 12 says we should throw off sin and run. We should fix our eyes on Jesus, grow up, and not lose heart. The faith we stand on is sure and solid and true, if we put our faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

I pray that everyone reading this blog will have faith in God, believe His Word, and accept His Son. And I pray that our faith will serve as a part of the cloud of witnesses people are seeing and be drawn to the Savior, too.

May you know the joy, the confidence, the blessings, and the love that come from having faith in the One we celebrate this Christmas.

 

December 2

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2 Corinthians 7:1-11:15

Paul talks about “godly sorrow”. What is that? And how does it differ from worldly sorrow? One leads to repentance. One leads to death.

Paul was apologizing for a letter he had written to the Christians in Achaia, the church in Corinth. You know Paul. He tells it like it is. And he must have stepped on some toes with his bluntness. Paul says: Sorry if your feelings were hurt by hearing the truth, but something good came of it. You repented!

7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death”. Godly sorrow produces earnestness, indignation, longing, concern, devotion and encouragement. And all of those are things outside of oneself. That is as it should be when we are faced with our sin. Godly sorrow for sin causes us to bow before our Holy God, to open our hearts and minds to the Savior. Godly sorrow looks up after looking in.

On the other hand, worldly sorrow stays turned inward. It produces depression, anger, despair. The person who is sucked into worldly sorrow is often more concerned with how he is feeling than who he is in Christ. Too often worldly sorrow leads to tragic death.

Now hear me when I say I am not talking about those who have a chemical imbalance. Please PLEASE do not go off your medication. Allow the medicine to do its job. But I would say to all of us, we need to consider sin and respond to it with godly sorrow that leads to repentance. In this case we need to go to the doctor for our physical problems. And to God with our sin.

Have you sinned? I think Paul would tell you to quit beating yourself up about it. Rather look toward your Heavenly Father and see his love, accept his forgiveness, repent and, like we talked about yesterday, begin again with a clean slate.

Father, I pray that when any of us are faced with the reality of sin in our lives it will cause us sorrow. May we quickly confess our sin and accept your forgiveness. May we keep our eyes on Jesus, to look for ways to live out our faith, to win lost souls to you. May we demonstrate your truth that godly sorrow that leads to repentance produces people who are anxious to get out there and lead others to the Savior, too. I pray for any reading this today who are caught in the ugly web of worldly sorrow. May they recognize that as sin, confess it, and look to you for all they need for life – including the joy of being your child.

July 20

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Isaiah 51-55

The 53rd chapter of Isaiah paints a picture of Jesus. Read it. Meditate on it. This is the One who loves you more than you can imagine. This is the One who lived and died to give you eternal life. It was God’s will to make Jesus the blood sacrifice for your sin – for mine.

What is our response to all that Jesus did on the cross? We can reject it, ignore it, or we can allow it to change our lives. 

You can accept Jesus and allow his blood to wash away your sin so that you can stand before our holy God clothed in righteousness not your own. You can be clean.

God wants us to come to him. He wants us to experience forgiveness and enjoy a relationship with him. Trust him.

Isaiah tells us God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts and his ways aren’t like our ways. God provides nourishment for hungry souls. And there is joy in following Him.

Dear Jesus, thank you for your willingness to go to the cross for me. You did what I could not. You paid for my sin. May I live today remembering what it cost you. May all that  do and say bring glory to you. Use me today. I trust you.

June 10

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Ecclesiastes 11&12; Psalms 73&88; I Kings 11:41-43, 14:21; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, 12:13&14

What is Solomon’s conclusion to his experiment? After who knows how many years of earnestly seeking happiness and meaning what is his answer?

Ecclesiastes 12:13&14 say:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Solomon came to realize late in life that it’s all about God. He challenges young people to remember their Creator before the days of trouble come. Wisdom, pleasure, wealth, religion, morality, living for yourself are all meaningless. 

I hope Solomon found joy at the end of his life. I hope he turned back to God and repented of his wasted years. The Bible doesn’t really say. It just tells us Solomon died after leading Israel for forty years and was buried in the City of David. 

I don’t know where you are in life but I do know it’s never too early or too late to turn to God. If you are finding your life has no meaning, if you cannot find joy and contentment, Solomon and I would suggest you are looking in the wrong places.

Jesus died to give your life meaning. He longs to fill you with his joy. Just accept it. Repent of selfish ambition or misguided efforts. Recognize sin and lay them at his feet. I promise you will find the most amazing meaning to life .

It’s in God alone.