Luke 6:23
‘Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
TO PONDER
There is more to joy than you may think. It’s good to feel the lightness of joy in good times, but what about in dark times. Can there be joy in difficulty and persecution?
Jesus says ‘yes’. Talking to his disciples about the persecution of God’s prophets, even to the point of murder, he encourages them to embrace the same possibility and its associated suffering when it comes, and to rejoice in being chosen. This is suffering for the gospel in mission.
Sharing our faith with others is mostly painless and has joyful results, but on occasion the response can be anything from rude to violent. The followers of Jesus, whose hearts are full of the joy of the presence of the Lord, full of the fire of his Holy Spirit, and full of holy desire to love and serve God and our neighbour, will willingly suffer for the gospel’s sake. We know that there is a great reward awaiting us in God’s presence. Heaven is not a geographical location but is located wherever God is. Now and into eternity, joy is with and in the Lord.
Remember: In darkness and in light, joy may be found in the presence of God.
PRAYER
Help me to not be afraid, but to share your goodness and grace with everyone you send to me. Help us to leap for joy at the reward that awaits. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures for ever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
TO PONDER
Worship is an expression of joy that changes the atmosphere of our mind and of the space we inhabit. Shout for joy to the Lord and joy will increase. Read a gospel portion out aloud, dwell in it, meditate on it, struggle with it. Sing a spiritual song and praise God in prayer. If you do this, joy will increase.
Celebrating with people of like mind will increase joy all the more. ‘His faithfulness continues through all generations. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.’
Remember: Worship, especially worship with others, ignites joy.
PRAYER
Fill my mouth with praise, O Lord, that I may declare your glory all day long. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
TO PONDER
As much as we may want to experience the joy of Christmas, ‘peace on earth and goodwill toward all people’, and all that, it’s very hard when our hearts are full of desire for things that have no lasting value.
Discontent is caused by the endless distraction of attractive things paraded before us every day. Our thoughts are bombarded with desire for things we never knew we needed; things we never knew existed until temptation titillated desire. We cannot be content while hanging on to the desire for temporary things. Things that will eventually turn to dust and ashes.
If we want to choose joy, we must learn contentment, which is letting go of unhealthy and unhelpful desires. We must learn to hold this world and its things lightly. We would then need to let go of control and self-righteousness, learn to forgive, and let go of anger, malice, and grudges. Doing these things amounts to godliness with contentment.
How do we let go? We cannot hold on to God and our useless desires at the same time. To hold on to God, is to let go of the rest and so, find joy in his presence.
Remember: Joy relies on godliness with contentment.
PRAYER
Father, declutter my heart and my mind. Relax my grip on things that will neither heal nor save me. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
TO PONDER
It took me a long time to figure out the difference between happiness and joy. For a long time, I sensed there was something more substantial and permanent than fleeting moments of happiness. It’s only been in the last few years that that I’ve realised that happiness is a temporary emotional response to present circumstances. Joy is a lifestyle choice.
How does one choose joy? Well, I choose to be active in love, to think, speak or do something kind as often as possible. Be gentle, pursue peace within me and beyond me. Be patient, good, and seek to develop and exercise a vigorous strong mind (see Galatians 5:22,23). Joy is an expression of the love of God at work in me.
By bringing everything to God, trusting in his powerful, almighty presence, I can be joyful at any given moment and in all circumstances. The Lord is near!
Remember: Joy is a choice that flows from proactive love.
PRAYER
Father God, you are Love. Keep me conscious of your loving presence today so that I may choose joy. Amen.
Today's devotion written by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
TO PONDER:
Isaiah 12 is a beautiful Psalm that stands in stark contrast to its surroundings. The nation of Israel is in a mess. For forty years they have been at war. The judgment for their disobedience is about to be unleashed. Yet in the midst of this impending doom, this song of joy rings out.
Joy is the 'however' of life! Life may have turned sour; however. Life may be hard and painful; however. Life may be unfair; however. Weeping may endure through the night; however, joy comes in the morning.
Joy is the deep trust and assurance that God is who he says he is and God will do what he says he will do. God has not abandoned his people. Despite our sin, in spite of our failings, God’s overflowing grace will triumph. His mercy will overcome. His strong hand will rescue. His presence will bring peace.
That’s why the Psalmist can sing with joy. For salvation has come and is coming. In Jesus, the fullness of joy becomes flesh. In Jesus, we meet our ‘however’, the one who completes every unfinished sentence of our life. The one who is Immanuel – God with us forever. That’s reason enough to sing with joy!
How does praising God in the midst of the struggles of your life, not only give you strength but also witness to others?
PRAYER:
Lord God, in your presence there is fullness of joy. Thank you for coming and making every unfinished sentence of my life complete. Amen.
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
TO PONDER:
It’s easy to forget the simple things in life. Like running and jumping around in the rain, getting absolutely soaked. For the kids in Tang Krang village, their delight in having a shower under the torrential downpour that cascaded off the edge of the building was expansive. Their smiles at being able to have a swim in the natural pop-up pools was infectious.
Mary’s song, called the Magnificat, evokes those same images. She had a mind thoroughly soaked in Scripture. We know this from the way the angel speaks to her and how she responds. We know it from the words Mary speaks. She understands what God has said in his Word. She understands who God is. She understands what God has done. She understands what God has done for her. She is so saturated with the Word of God, that it flows effortlessly from her in this song of praise.
How do you respond to the truths of God when you receive them? As old news? With indifference or boredom? Or like Mary, are you so overwhelmed by these eternal and inspiring truths, that all you can do is praise God? May your heart sing loud this Christmas.
What steps can you take to be more fully soaked in the Word of God?
PRAYER:
Lord God, soak my heart in your Word that my life might give voice to the next verse of Mary’s song. Amen.
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.
TO PONDER:
Behind every song there is a story.
‘May the child of God grow in you. And his love bring you home.’ For my family, these last two lines of Robin Mann’s Christmas Blessing hold special significance. We were around the bed of my wife’s mother. For days, she had been silent. In the middle of a prayer over her, she opened her mouth and started singing those words. Her last words to us. Her final prayer for us.
There’s also a story behind the song in our text today. For 400 years, there had been silence. The people of Israel had been losing hope about the redemption of their nation and the promise of the Messiah.
But now, as Zechariah looks down at his infant son, the crucial moment of world history had come. In his arms, he holds the baby who will grow up to prepare the way of the Lord. It can only mean one thing. God had not forgotten them. The long wait is over. The Messiah was coming. God has visited his people. After nine months of silence for Zechariah, the only words that could express that joy and emotion were the words of this song. Re-read Zechariah's full song in Luke 1:68-79
What song leaves your lips when you think about Jesus and what his coming means for you?
PRAYER:
Come Lord Jesus, come and fill my heart with your song. Amen.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…
TO PONDER:
Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Really? Tell that to the woman who berated an elderly gentleman for taking too long to exit the car space. Tell it to the couple engaged in a heated, public discussion about how much should be spent on presents for her family.
As Christmas approaches, it seems many suffer from myopia. A short-sightedness in which the bigger picture is blurred, perspective is distorted and hope is a distant speck that cannot be distinguished. But it is not just at Christmas, is it? Churches and Christians, for many reasons, can develop spiritual myopia at any time, resulting in bitterness, negative thinking and a loss of perspective in which God’s movements are blurred.
Immediately after sharing God’s vision for the Church, Paul prays an incredible prayer of thanksgiving for God’s people. A heart of thanksgiving corrects our spiritual myopia. The lens of faith gives a wider angle, bringing everything into sharp focus against the background of Christ’s death and resurrection. In his victory, we are given a hope that is certain, a purpose that inspires, a power that overcomes and a grace which brings focus and a clarity to every moment.
Where do you need a greater clarity in your life right now?
PRAYER:
Come Lord Jesus and open the eyes of my heart that I may see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly. Amen.
Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
TO PONDER:
It’s one of the most frustrating and annoying situations – waiting to try and talk with a government department. You ring the number, get the automated menu, spend minutes filtering through all the menu options, are placed in a queue and given your wait time. Just when you think you are making progress, there’s a long beep on the other end of the line. The call goes dead! Half an hour of your life you won’t get back.
Waiting is hard as James points out in these verses and requires much patience. But it’s hard to be patient when circumstances are uncontrollable. Just ask a farmer. It’s hard to be patient when people are unchangeable. Just ask the prophets. It’s hard to be patient when problems are unexplainable. Just ask Job.
When waiting is hard, and patience is low, James reminds us, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.’ It’s God’s faithfulness to his promises that anchors our waiting. God is always in control. It may be out of our control, but things are never out of his control. So wait…patiently…for God to act.
Where in your life are you struggling to remain patient?
PRAYER:
Faithful God, when my patience is tested today, fill me with your compassion and mercy, that your grace may flow out from me. Amen.