Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer Joy this Advent (12/18/25)

This week, our family devotional time concluded with joyfully singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”

I associate this carol with joy, and it fits perfectly with the focus on joy this third week of Advent. Jesus came to offer us eternal joy, surpassing any fleeting earthly happiness. He came to reconcile sinners, extend His righteousness and give us eternal life.

Some of the lyrics in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” seem to be inspired by the following passage:

Luke 2:9-14     ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The angels announced good news that would bring immense joy – a Savior had been born! As we navigate this Christmas season, how can we extend that joy in Christ to those around us?

The next time we hear “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” let’s reflect on the significance of the lyrics - the joy Jesus offers – and sincerely give Him glory as we sing!

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – For a Purpose-Filled Life (6/6/24)

John wrote a compelling Gospel with specifically selected events, miracles and teachings. He knew he didn’t capture everything, but other writers had recorded additional truths about Jesus. So, he ended his book with this final verse:

John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

John had a specific purpose in writing what he wrote. He gave his purpose in the previous chapter.

John 20:30-31                   ³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The miracles John recorded weren’t random and neither is the rest of the Bible. I love knowing the Holy Spirit had John write down certain miracles specifically so we would believe! Not only did John (and more importantly, God) desire us to believe, but to experience true life as part of Jesus’s family. We can have abundant, purposeful, and joy-filled life as we know Jesus, understand what He’s done for us and follow His example.  

How has knowing Jesus is Truth, given you purpose-filled life? 

Thursday Devotional - Chasing After the Wind of Tomorrow 8/24/23

 My kids want to hurry and grow up! I remember thinking the same thing as a kid – wishing I was older.

Getting ready for school to start next week, James doesn’t want anything that looks childish (backpack, lunch box, or bike helmet). He’s going into 5^th grade and thinks his backpack from kindergarten is too kid-like. 😊

Sarah said she’s never ready for school and how nice it must be that Dad and I don’t have to go to school anymore. No, but we get to go to work everyday and still learn new things! We also use much of what we learned in elementary school on a daily basis (reading, counting, telling time, writing, etc.).

As adults, sometimes we want to hurry to the next phase of life, too. We can chase after the wind of tomorrow and miss the blessings and joys of today. I think that’s what Solomon wanted to highlight in this next passage.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-10    Light is sweet,
    and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
⁸ However many years anyone may live,
    let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
    for there will be many.
    Everything to come is meaningless.

⁹ You who are young, be happy while you are young,
    and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
    and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
    God will bring you into judgment.
¹⁰ So then, banish anxiety from your heart
    and cast off the troubles of your body,
    for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Where are you and I missing the blessings and joys of today by chasing after tomorrow? Maybe it’s the next promotion, the next “perfect” job, retirement, the next phase with kids, more time for a new hobby, that next trip and the list goes on. Let’s enjoy what God’s given us to do today!

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God Through Disqualification (7/27/23)

It’s been an exciting and busy week with all 4 kids swimming and diving in their championship meets this week! Both girls got disqualified in one of their races, though. However, when Joe was talking to the coach about Sarah’s disqualification, the coach said “but Sarah’s still smiling!” Yes, Sarah doesn’t let things like that bother her. She is usually happy and content.

No matter what is going on around us, we always have something to be happy and joyful about – our Faithful God!   

Psalm 68:1-3      May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
    may his foes flee before him.
² May you blow them away like smoke—
    as wax melts before the fire,
    may the wicked perish before God.
³ But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

I pray our joy is contagious to those around us. I’m glad Sarah’s coach sees her as a happy girl, but my prayer has been that we would be witnesses in our interactions this summer. Maybe there will still be opportunities for others to realize that our joy comes from God (not our own self-talk or positive thinking)! He’s our Faithful Savior! Whether we win or lose, He’s already victorious over our greatest problem!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Joy to the World! 12/15/22

We just sang this last night before bed! Most nights we try to sing a Christmas Carol together when we do our evening Bible reading and prayer. A different kid gets to pick the carol each day. This year, the top pick has been Joy to the World! It is one of my favorite Christmas hymns because it truly expresses excited celebration of Jesus, our King and Savior!

Isaac Watts wrote the words to this hymn in 1719, at the age of 45. It was part of a huge work he wrote “The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and Applied to the Christian State and Worship.” Isaac Watts saw how much David praised the Lord through song (in the Psalms) and knew we as New Testament believers have much more for which to praise God, having received Jesus!!!

Psalm 28:6-7

⁶ Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.

How will you and I truly worship God with joy (for who He is and what He’s done through Jesus)? Let our joy be contagious this time of year!!!

Alice 

Thursday Devotional - Our 2019 Christmas Letter/Pictures

John 1:1-4     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

I pray you are experiencing life in Him this Christmas! This summer we as a family worked on memorizing the first part of John 1. We made it through verse 8, but I had hoped to make it through verse 12! 😉  

James (7) is in first grade. He is progressing in gymnastics and has used his gym time to intentionally talk about God with his gym buddies and coach! He started piano lessons with me, partially because he already plucked out familiar songs by ear. At his own initiative, James was baptized in September by Joe, which was joyful.

Sarah (5) is in young fives each morning. She is also progressing in gymnastics. She loves to dance and sing with or without music. She learned how to ride a “two-wheeler” as she called it (when James gave her a rough push!). She faithfully prays for the needs in our extended family.

We went on a family vacation with Joe’s family to Myrtle Beach back-to-back with my family vacation to Colorado Springs. It was a first airplane flight for the kids, and everyone on the plane knew it! Joe and I got altitude sickness climbing Pikes Peak with my sister and 2 brothers-in-law. We both turned around at over 11,000 ft. (10 miles up). God helped us survive sleet and lightening on the way down!

May we all look to Christ for Joy this Christmas!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - The Gift of Joy and Contentment

How many of us are truly joyfully content? Are you content with your job, your income, your family situation, your home, your car, and even your vacation options???

Over the years, God has helped me to grow in joy and contentment in certain areas. I could celebrate with many of my friends as they got married and started families years before me. Then, after Joe and I married and prayerfully pursued fertility and adoption options for almost a decade, we were still able to enjoy life. It didn’t mean we didn’t have disappointments along the way, but God helped us be more focused on what He had given than on what we didn’t have and wanted.

Solomon describes this joy in life and contentment as a gift from God!

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20     ¹⁸ This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. ¹⁹ Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. ²⁰ They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Finding contentment and joy in the positions, possessions and people God has given to us is a satisfying gift of God.

Would others say we are a person of discontent or “occupied with gladness of heart?” Where do you and I need to ask God to help us better enjoy what He has given to us?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Chasing after the Wind of Pleasure

As we saw last week, Solomon didn’t find satisfaction from chasing after wisdom and wealth, apart from God’s plans. He found it meaningless, so he tried chasing after pleasure.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3    I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ² “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

Solomon found chasing after pleasure meaningless, too. It is temporal and unsatisfying. However, chasing after God’s plans is eternal, has meaning and is satisfying.

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25           A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,²⁵ for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

Without a relationship with God and following Him, nothing will ever satisfy. Where are you and I chasing after an earthly temporal pleasure more than God’s plans for us? Staying up late watching TV, playing video games, reading/posting on social media, or logging another exotic vacation doesn’t provide lasting satisfaction.

God asked me to join an international ministry over 14 years ago that takes 15 or more hours of my time each week. It is far more rewarding than I expected. I wouldn’t trade it for all the exotic vacations in the world!!!

Similar to what Kent talked about yesterday, God can give us true joy in being content in what He’s given us to do and experience.

Alice

A Place Called Joy

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. 

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”  Nehemiah 8:9-10 

So I’m watching a special about two athletes that I admired when I was younger.  They had been best of friends, but because of competition and miscommunication, they had separated for years; nearly twenty years.  However, when they got back together, it was like they had never been apart.  The closest thing I can recall like it was when I saw my oldest brother after a decade of him living in Florida.  It was like watching me ten years later, and I cherished that time we spent. 

When I think of my relationship with God, I know He is Lord over my life.  I am His humble servant, but yet, He calls me a friend.  I struggle understanding that, but my best guess on how that works is simply this.  I don’t expect anything from Him, but when I do something well, I can feel He is happy with me.  The commonality in all three stories is this place in my heart positively responds to them.  The response is called joy. 

Joy is an everlasting connection with God.  In today’s verses, the people of Jerusalem were at an assembly hearing the law of God read them.  As I read of them weeping, I can only feel that they wept reflecting on their own standing with God.  Then Nehemiah, understanding the greater purpose God had in their lives, spoke, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  He wished to emphasize that God was with them, and with it, they had reassurance and peace.  They had happiness that was both unshakable and everlasting.  This was joy.  When we gave our life to Christ, we too were given a new life filled with an opportunity to serve the one true living God.  It is not something that can be neither taken from us nor reversed.  We are to embrace it for what it is; a chance to live a better life beyond ourselves.  To do be able to do things in the name of God that many might not even understand, and then celebrate because we have the very strength that Nehemiah spoke to the people of Jerusalem of. 

There is no situation that our God cannot handle.  While we at times find ourselves too tired to carry on, He carries us forward, but only if we just are willing to hand our worries, fears, and anxieties to Him.  A song by Bebe and Cece Winans has a closing chorus saying to Jesus Christ, “You are my love and my prize possession.  Because of you I’ve got pride and joy.  Tell the world it’s love everlasting, hope everlasting, joy everlasting. I’ve got joy!”  Do not let the weight of the world tear you down.  Remember your strength in Christ.  Where is the joy you have with Christ?  How can you focus on His strength when you feel weak?  My prayer is that we look deep inside ourselves where God is connected to us, and find that place called joy.  Amen, and I pray for you and your family a most joyous and Merry Christmas! 

Detour

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:14-15 (NIV)

We try our best to make good decisions.  Some of them are very simple like getting up from bed and taking a shower before work.  Others might be a bit more challenging like wearing the right clothes for an interview or deciding on which washer and dryer set to get from the appliance store (Yes, my wife and I did that once).  However there are some decisions where we tend to overcomplicate things.  Some of these can lead to dangerous results.  For example, a gambler will risk his mortgage payment trying to make up for losses earlier in the day.  Their thought?  I need to make up for the money I lost.  But why would one risk their home just because they lost earlier?  I never have gambled, but I’ve heard the ugly stories when someone did.  It’s always the impulse of ‘I can win this time!’  When conflicted with what God expects and my own wants, I have to avoid focusing on temporary and impulsive happiness in exchange for long term spiritual growth and abundance of joy God offers.  Of course the latter is better, but I must discipline myself not to fall for an immediately gratifying but unfulfilling detour.

We should always maintain our focus on God’s long term plan toward joy rather than our own temporary pathway to short-term fulfillment.  I saw today’s verse pop up on my Bible app today.  Normally, I write something God inspires me to throughout the week.  However, I realized I had never written on these verses albeit one of my favorites.  A Christian song that I love to hear speaks of it saying, “As for me and my house, we will serve you Lord.”  In reading the verses, it feels like one of those arguments where you are willing to listen to discussion, but you already know what your answer is.  For example when Jesus is being tempted in the wilderness after 40 days and nights of fasting, the devil tries to tempt Jesus, but we already know how Jesus was going to respond, right?  “People do not live by bread alone,” and “You must not test the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4:6b, 7b)  Like God said to the people in Joshua, we can all grow comfortable in our surroundings, but we must always remember the God we serve; the one who carries us when we are weak and was always there for the Israelites from Abraham through Moses and Joshua.

God is always on our side.  We not only have plenty of stories throughout the Bible but also our own experiences when God displayed His faithfulness pulling us through crisis after crisis.  We will always have to deal with temptation to take what may seemingly appear to be an easy way out, but we know the right choice as God laid out to Israel in today’s verses.  Don’t take the easy route!  Trust in God’s long term plan for your life.  What is tempting you to divert from God’s long term plans for you?  How can you stay on course when temptation hits at your time of stress?  My prayer is that we are able to seek the long term joy God has in store for our lives and not fall prey to the short term detour.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Certainty

Very few things are certain in this life. As much as I would like to assure James and Sarah that we will always be a family, I can’t guarantee that.

The other day James said he thought he was going to live with his former foster mom forever, but he is living with us. Then, he said he wondered when he was going to go live somewhere else, but he lives with us. He seemed to be verbally processing things and answering his own questions. At the end of his discussion, I told him we planned to be a family and stay together for the foreseeable future. I wanted to reassure him without promising anything I couldn’t guarantee. I CAN guarantee that God will take care of him!

As Jesus reassured His disciples right before His departure, He guaranteed certain promises. As we read last week, one was the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Him the disciples could experience joy in all situations. Here, Jesus promised that no one can take that joy away!

John 16:20-22         ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. ²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

What trouble or uncertainty are you facing? Do you believe Jesus can turn your grief into joy? As Kent talked about yesterday, through the Holy Spirit we have access to everlasting joy that no one can take away! Are you and I living in that reality? God’s promises are the only things that are certain.

Alice

Joy Everlasting

I go east, but he is not there.
    I go west, but I cannot find him.
I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
    I look to the south, but he is concealed.

“But he knows where I am going.
    And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
For I have stayed on God’s paths;
    I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
I have not departed from his commands,
    but have treasured his words more than daily food.
But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
    Whatever he wants to do, he does.  Job 23:8-13

Finding joy.  Sometimes, I worry about my wife.  I will see her, and realize something is not quite right.  Maybe it is something that is bothering her from work, or perhaps there was something I said that has her distant from me.  It is those times where I am most distraught.  However as I give her a hug and we assure each other of our love, I remember what makes our relationship more special than anything else.  We have joy everlasting.  We have been through trials, and even in the midst of the darkest times, we somehow always make it back to that loving embrace that reassures us.  It keeps us moving forward, and makes an overwhelming statement that nothing that God has put together can separate us.

As Christians, we are given an unshakeable feeling of joy.  In reading the story of Job, I am struck with how huge his trials were.  To lose so much had to be overwhelming, and his friends were not always the most supportive in his time of need.  Yet he continued to honor God not because he was happy.  He did so because God was not to be questioned.  Job knew he had followed a righteous path in spite of such grief.  There is very little that is happy about Job’s story, but he had joy knowing that should he follow the path God had laid out for him, God would find him ‘pure as gold.’  He had unshakeable joy in spite of all that he was enduring, and in the end, God rewarded him abundantly.  In this story, we find that while we may not be as blameless as Job and our life may not be what we would have it to be, we have joy through Jesus Christ, who calls us blameless before God.  Like Job, we are to follow the path trusting God and not questioning His judgment.  Instead, we are to seek understanding for as a fellow devotee reminded me this week, we are to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

Joy in knowing who God is and what He has done for us is where we should be in our journey of faith.  A relative reminded me of the words of Paul, where he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV)  Happiness can be fleeting, but joy is enduring.  If we love Jesus as He loves us, we are instilled with His Spirit and with it the strength to endure whatever trials we encounter.  Furthermore through Christ, we are made pure as gold.  So whether you are dealing with trials or in a time of peace, be assured that God is with you every step of the way.  How can you find joy in your times of uncertainty?  Who can you share the joy of God through Jesus Christ with today?  My prayer is that we remind ourselves that no matter what may be happening in our lives, we have joy everlasting.  Amen.

Our Journey to Adoption, Part XI - Clarity After the Fact

As it looked more likely we could be the adoptive family for James and Sarah, Joe and I started looking at bigger homes. We were in a 2 bedroom 1 ½ bath condo that I had owned for almost 13 years. James and Sarah shared a room, but often woke each other up in the night or during nap time.

After looking a little bit, we decided it might be too much change at once! Being able to give James and Sarah their own room was a want more than a need, at least while they are little. We thought we should postpone looking for the time being.

However, a couple weeks later, my Mom got a call from a local family friend who said she was thinking about selling her house but hadn’t put it on the market yet. We looked at the house and liked it! She didn’t give us a price, so we made what we thought was a fair offer. She counter-offered, though, and we weren’t comfortable paying more. After much deliberation and prayer, we were led to walk away. The owner then planned to list the house.

A couple days later, the owner called us back and said she (and her grown children) decided she wasn’t in a position to get her house ready to list and show so she would go with our original offer. I couldn’t believe it! God clearly confirmed He had picked and provided this house just for us! It certainly wasn’t clear in the midst of all the deliberating. I had been confused why He led us to walk away when I felt like He had directed us to the house, but now it all made sense!

Jesus told His disciples many things they would only understand after His death and resurrection. Everything didn’t all make sense initially.

John 14:18-21, 28-29  ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” …²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

We’re to obey God, even when it doesn’t make sense or we think we have a better idea. He knows bests! Often we can look back and understand what He was doing, but only after the fact. If Joe and I had gone with the counter-offer we would have gotten the house God had for us, but we wouldn’t have experienced the peace and joy of His clear confirmation!

Alice

Joy (Always) Comes With The Morning

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
    Praise his holy name.
 For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.  Psalm 30:4-5

My mother celebrated her 80^th birthday yesterday.  Over the weekend, we had a celebration for her, and I heard many stories.  Some of them I had never heard before, and others I had literally lived through.  There was a lot of laughter, and yes, there were tears of happiness too.  It was indeed a joyful day.  Joyful because you knew it would go beyond just the day.  My mother would later say it was the happiest day of her life.  I have at numerous times written about the difference of happiness, which is always fleeting, and joy, which is long lasting and enduring.  Watching my mother over the weekend, I could see that she had truly mastered joy in her life, and from those who were with her, you can tell they had it too.

Joy is a blessing of living a life for God.  In life we have moments of happiness and peace.  Yet, there are times of struggle, challenges, and darkness as well.  Sometimes, these challenges and times of darkness can seem to be unending.  Those are the times where happiness is in a far distant place and peace is but a long lost dream.  However if we focus on joy that comes from the Lord, we can endure through these times realizing that although we have darkness around us, the morning will come.  Yes, there are tough times, but there is a saying that tough times make for tough people.  Tough people understand that you don’t have to see the light to know that it is there, and if we have God within us, there is an undiminishing light shining within us that cannot be denied.  This is the joy we have in God, and if we have built our life on Him, it is limitless.  It never dies.  It never fails.

We are blessed to serve a God of abundance.  If we live with Him, we are given an incredible wealth of gifts which cannot be bought or earned through worldly deeds.  Paul in his letter to Galatians said, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”  (Galatians 5:22-23)  Joy is God’s way of saying no matter what may come or troubles may fall, be not dismayed.  I am here and this too shall pass.  So no matter what darkness is in your life today, realize that the morning is coming!  Know this!  How can you seek the joy of God in lieu of worldly happiness?  How can you maintain joy when darkness comes?  My prayer is that as God’s children we always remember that no matter what darkness comes, joy always comes with the morning!  Amen!

Paul's Notes Are Greater!

Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

When I was in high school, we would have lots of books to read for our English classes.  Most common were works by Shakespeare.  No one liked Shakespeare because it was both difficult to read and in many cases boring.  Then when reading Hamlet (one of those difficult Shakespeare works), one of the students came in with this cute yellow book called ‘Cliff’s Notes,’ which gave a summary of the book.  Like many others, I was fascinated by it, and took a quick read through it.  I wish I could say it helped me do well on the exam, but it did not.  I still had to read the book to do well, but it did give me great insight as to what the author was trying to impress upon his audience.  Now having read the Bible, I have no desire to read the Cliff Notes of it because like Hamlet, I do not get the full breadth of what God is trying to say.  However in reading the Bible, I often get a nice little summary of how one is to live for God much like those notes did for Hamlet.

Learning to spend time reading the Bible is essential in helping one live a Christ centered life.  In reading the closing chapter of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, one gets so much wisdom about how to live for God.  The verses for today jumped out at me about things that we should aspire to do every day.  There are three operative words we should focus on; always, never, and all.  First, we should always be joyful.  Joyful is what we aspire to be over happy for happiness can be fleeting but joyfulness stays even when circumstances may warrant time for sadness or mourning.  Never stop praying.  In case you have not been prayerful, let me just say what prayer has done in my life.  It has helped me love my family better and saved me from harm way more times than I can count.  The more we pray, the more God shows us.  Be thankful in all circumstances.  Yes, it is fairly easy to be thankful when times are good, but what about when things are not so good?  We are at times disappointed with what life throws our way, but God uses these experiences in many ways.  Sometimes it is to help us learn something, and other times it is because better and greater things await us.

There is so much God wants to say to us.  In understanding that, it becomes easy to know why the Bible is so long!  Even then, it speaks far beyond its words for if we not only read it but also truly study it, we hear God speaking to our hearts as well as our minds.  Even if you only have a moment I urge you to still take time to read a little for God will take that short moment and change your path toward a more life fulfilling journey.  It helped me, and it can do the same for you.  When is the last time you opened your Bible or digital Bible app?  How can you commit to reading His word more often?  My prayer is that we find just a little more time to read and study God’s word for Cliff’s notes are great but as we read today, Paul’s notes are greater!  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Letter from Jesus

If Jesus wrote a letter personally to you and to me, what would it say? In what areas would He say you and I were faithful and what weaknesses would He point out?

Here’s what He had John write to the Ephesians.

Revelation 2:1-7       “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Jesus recognized the Ephesian church’s faithful service, faithful doctrine and faithful endurance. They worked hard for Him and were conscientious to uphold Godly standards. However, they had forsaken their love for Him. Maybe they were so focused on their work FOR Jesus, that they forgot to BE with Jesus.

Jesus wants us to faithfully serve Him and uphold His truths, but not at the expense of truly spending time with Him. He desires our love first. He wants a personal relationship with each of His children where we enjoy Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, etc.

Are you and I more focused on serving God than loving and enjoying Him? Often, my answer is yes. Studying and teaching this passage this week really challenged me to take time to be with and enjoy God instead of focusing most of my energy on serving Him. 

What might need to be put off in order to pursue loving God more? Is someone or something else our first love? Or is it God Himself? He loves us so much and desires us to faithfully love and enjoy Him!

Alice