Category: joy

Life is Uncertain

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 21 & 22

Poetry: Ecclesiastes 11

New Testament: Colossians 2

Life is uncertain. That seems to be the theme that Solomon focuses on in this chapter. His first statement seems quite enigmatic, “Cast your bread on the waters; for you may find it after many days.” “Casting one’s bread on the waters” may be a metaphor for maritime trade, and what one might “find after many days” could refer to the revenue that comes back to the person after the goods are sold. The numerical proverb in verse 2 could suggest the wisdom in diversification of cargo on different ships, so that if something happened to one ship, the entire shipment won’t be lost. The reasoning for this is that a person cannot know “what evil may happen on the earth,” referring to unforeseen disasters and circumstances in the future.

Another imagery that is used is that of clouds that are full of rain (v. 3). The imagery is meant to depict the randomness of life and the unpredictability of events. The implicit idea that the imagery represents is the uncertainty of disasters or bad things that will negatively impact one’s life. We have no control over where a cloud will drop its rain. We know that clouds bring moisture, but the definitiveness of when and where that will take place is outside the ability of a person to know. We are simply subject to the randomness of weather patterns. Now, ultimately we know that weather is not truly random, but it is impossible for us to know all the factors that play into the weather and the behavior of clouds.

A modern expression that captures this same idea is: “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.” No one can predict how it is going to happen. But when it does, then that is how it happens.

Next an agricultural illustration is used describing farmers and how the inevitable randomness can cause one to be paralyzed by the inability to know the future. If a farmer tries to predict when the wind will be favorable for planting, they will never sow their seed because the wind might change at any moment. In addition, the farmer who stares at the clouds in order to predict when it will be dry to harvest will never gather the crops because it might rain before the harvest can be completed.

As one scholar summarizes the point of v. 4, “…one cannot use the possibility of misfortune as an excuse for inactivity. Someone who is forever afraid of storms will never get around to working his field. The Teacher in effect says, ‘Just face the fact that things may go wrong, but get out there and do your work anyway.’” (Duane A. Garrett, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, [Vol. 14, The New American Commentary], 338)

We humans are vastly ignorant about the inner workings of life and of God. In this verse, Solomon is stressing that fact but using the developing fetus in a womb as a clear example of something we know nothing about. One of the great mysteries of human existence is how life comes together in a fetus as it forms in the womb. We have no idea how “spirit” (i.e., life) enters the bones of a baby.

This example of human ignorance is being used to make the point that even though we don’t understand how many things in life really work, we should not let a lack of knowledge paralyze us into inactivity.

Thus, while trying to figure out what is going to come in the future is not profitable, we should still act wisely and take reasonable chances in life, unlike the skeptic and fearful who will not move forward in life even if the opportunity is there.

This illustration is compared then to the “work of God” in the world. Solomon describes God as the one who “makes everything.” The reference is to the operations of creation (e.g., gestation). God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall, just as he gives life to the fetus and causes it to grow in the womb. And so, in the same way that we don’t understand how certain things happen, like a pregnant woman who is trusting God that the baby will develop as God designed, so also all future plans must likewise be put in the hands of God. We ultimately cannot control success or failure. We must simply do our best and trust God with the rest (i.e., the outcome).

In light of the general ignorance about life and the work of God, Solomon encourages the reader to work hard in the face of uncertainty, even if we don’t understand what is going to happen. He instructs farmers to “sow your seed,” meaning go out and plant the crops, and “do not withhold your hand,” meaning don’t refrain from working. Finish the job!

We have no idea whether something will turn out good or bad. We have to wait and see. Maybe one thing will work, and another will fail, or perhaps both will work, or both will fail. But one thing we can be sure of, if we don’t do anything, then nothing will ever happen.

“Light is sweet” appears as a mismatched metaphor. How can “light” be tasted. Here “light” is likely a metonymy of association referring to the perception of light by the senses of one who is alive. Thus, it refers figuratively to “life” and represents a living person (cf. Job 3:20; 33:30; Ps 56:14). This is the opposite of “darkness” which represents “death.” And “sweet” is a metaphor of taste referring to a pleasurable experience, not actual tasting with one’s mouth. This figuratively represents something that is good and delightful. Furthermore, “to see the sun” refers to being alive and able to work and do something “under the sun.” The idea is that being alive is “good” and something to be enjoyed.

Verse 8 provides the reader with encouragement to rejoice in life no matter what age a person might be. But that rejoicing is to be accompanied by an awareness that life is filled with “darkness” and that everything that happens cannot be explained or give ultimate meaning to life. Sometimes bad things happen, and no explanation can be offered to explain them. Thus, attempting to know the reason why everything happens is not possible, and therefore, it is “pointless.”

Solomon is advancing the premise that joy should accompany a person throughout their life, but life is not solely one of bliss and ease, it is also filled with hardship, pain, and various evils. And this is why he returns to the idea of “joy,” and now in more forceful terms, he flat out instructs the reader to “Rejoice!” The instruction is not meant exclusively to be directed or applied exclusively to young people. What is meant by the expression is for “joy” to become a set pattern early on in one’s life.

The phrase “let your heart cheer you…walk in the ways of your heart…in the sight of your eyes” uses the terms “heart” and “eyes” as organs of desire, and they refer to one’s inner yearnings and inclinations. The exhortation is not to follow whatever impulses one has regardless if they are immoral or reckless. Rather, one is to pursue desires and the joy they bring into life with the awareness of God’s impending judgment over everything you do.

Lastly, with God’s judgment in mind, a person should not allow the frustrations of life to incumber their pursuit of joy. We must not let the enigma of life and the unexplainable and uncontrollable realities weigh down our rejoicing in life. On the other hand, a person must not let their desires draw them into evil either. Pursuing one’s desires often can lead to wickedness and sin. Thus, one must be diligent about avoiding temptations that arise from the desires in our flesh. So, despite the human condition, we are to overcome the troubles that the “pointlessness” in life brings and focus on the joy that we can experience in the midst of it.

-Jerry Wierwille

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever used the possibility of misfortune as an excuse for your inactivity? If so, what might Solomon say to you?
  2. “Pursuing one’s desires often can lead to wickedness and sin.” How have you seen this in your own life? What desires? What wickedness and sin? How can you protect against this? Should some desires be changed? How? Should you go about pursuing some desires in different ways?
  3. Even with the unknowns and the difficulties in life, how can you still pursue and show joy?
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Prayer and Thanksgiving

Theme Week – Thanks: Philippians 4

Old Testament: Ezekiel 45 & 46

Poetry: Psalm 111

Some laws we have make very little sense. 

In Los Angeles, you can’t use silly string on Halloween. 

In the UK, you can’t “handle salmon in a suspicious manner.”

In Barbados, you can’t wear camouflage. (Sorry, hunting fans!)

However, once you know the context, these laws begin to make sense. 

In LA, it cost the city nearly $200,000 to clean up the silly string every year from just Halloween. 

In the UK, they were trying to stop illegal salmon fishing, and it’s a crime to take fish that you suspect to have been illegally fished. 

In Barbados, the government has decided that the Defense Force are the only people who can wear camouflage (like a uniform) and wearing camo might be seen as an attempt to impersonate an officer. 

In Philippians 4, Paul gives a couple commands that, on the surface, seems to make very little sense. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (4:4)

And 

“Do not be anxious about anything.” (4:6)

It’s almost like Paul doesn’t know what it is like to be human! We can’t control our emotions. I don’t choose when to be happy, or when to be anxious. Nor does anyone else, though we try ; over 12% of the US population over age twelve take antidepressants and 6% of the population is on anti-anxiety medication. What a strange command that makes very little sense. 

Until we add context. 

To “rejoice” is not “feel happy” but “find joy in”. Joy is not the ephemeral, fleeting happiness that comes and goes based on what happens to us moment by moment, but the unshakeable reality that God’s desire for us is to be blessed by him forever. Will we have pain, heartache, grief and mourning in this world? Yes, because it is fallen. However, we don’t rejoice because of those things, but in the midst of those things, we are commanded and encouraged to find our joy in God. God’s grace, his gifts, and his promises will always outweigh our pain in the grand scheme of the universe. One day, all will be made new, and the old things will pass away and only the new and eternal will remain. 

Similarly, God does not expect us to overcome our worries and cares for the future through sheer willpower ; instead he says “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The command is more than not being anxious, but about being in relationship with the one who overcomes our anxiety, and who overcomes our depression. 

I hope this week, as you have been spending 5, 10, or 15 minutes thanking God for the good things in your life, that you begin to recognize that God appreciates your thanksgiving, but also cares about your prayers and supplications. He hears it all and he is always working for your sanctification, your salvation, and your life to be abundant. He is working to bring joy in your life, joy found in what Christ has and will do in you, and to meet your needs so you will not need to be anxious. 

APPlication & Reflection

Today, instead of having questions to answer, take the time to 

Pray to God. 

Give him thanks.  

Let him know all that is on your heart that makes joy seem so far away, and all that is on your mind that makes anxiety close at hand. 

As you do, may “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, … guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (4:7)

-Jake Ballard

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From Suffering Servants to Shouts of Joy

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 53-54

Poetry Reading: Psalm 85

New Testament Reading: Mark 16

Today’s Old Testament reading of Isaiah 53 actually starts mid-way in the last of four “Servant Songs” from the book of Isaiah. If you didn’t read Isaiah 52 already, you might want to back up to Isaiah 52:13 since that is often considered the start of this poem.

Recently, I learned a new word at a Bible class I was attending when the teacher mentioned the variations of “pericopes” Bible publishers use. For some reason the word entertained me enough to laugh, and while I couldn’t remember the word writing this and had to look it up and laughed again saying it to myself, it just means the heading at the top of the divisions of scripture.  In my Bible, the pericope for Isaiah 53 is called The Suffering Servant, giving a good clue that this is a rather serious subject.

I have been enjoying a Christian historical fiction book recently set during the time of Jesus as a Jewish family is piecing together scriptures and promises as they are hearing what is going on near their “out of town relatives in Nazareth”. I have been struck by how much of Isaiah they knew and were waiting to see fulfilled and come clear, and how much what we know of our Messiah today is woven together throughout scripture. It brings such credibility and contextual understanding to have the Old with the New Testament and Isaiah 53 is certainly one of those linking passages. From what I can see, it is directly quoted at least eight times in the New Testament in a variety of writings including Matthew, Luke, John, Romans, Acts, and I Peter. Beyond these, we also see more New Testament references to the chapter’s concept referenced indirectly.

If you are doing the New Testament readings this week wrapping up Mark as well, you will certainly see the parallel to this concept that a blameless Messiah suffered torture and humiliation as an intercessor for the sins of all. It was prophesied about hundreds of years before Jesus came into existence in the womb of Mary, and it came true, bringing credibility to the well-preserved and passed down Hebrew scriptures. We have a mediator between God and us. We don’t have to sacrifice animals, recite chants, or come up with meaningless ways to “pay back” for our sins. We can’t fix the problem. But the son of God did:

“He poured out His blife unto death,

And was counted with wrongdoers;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the wrongdoers.”

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Is 53:12.

Isaiah 54 starts with shouts for joy and continues on with an encouraging message that supersedes whatever brings shame, sorrow, and feelings of abandonment. While the main character in chapter 53 was the Servant, in this chapter we are reunited with a female character mentioned earlier in Isaiah. Earlier in Isaiah this woman was abandoned by her husband and then later reunited with him. (Side note: I know someone who had this happen in real life just like Israel did!) This woman seems to be a personified “Zion”, sometimes representing the city of Jerusalem, sometimes the nation of Israel, sometimes the descendants of Abraham. Whatever the case in chapter 54….she’s getting good news! While she’s felt abandoned and forsaken for a time, she is given a lot of beautiful promises. She doesn’t need to fear weapons, enemies, or past mistakes. She is promised everlasting comfort, compassion, peace, and some pretty cool gems (like maybe the ones in the New Jerusalem?!). I couldn’t even pick a favorite verse to pull out, but here’s one I liked and I’m sure you’ll find other words of encouragement in this chapter.

“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,

But My favor will not be removed from you,

Nor will My covenant of peace be shaken,”

 New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 2020), Is 54:10.

-Jennifer Hall

Reflection Questions:

1. How does learning the Old Testament scriptures impact your understanding of the New Testament?

2. What message in the Suffering Servant poem might you need to be reminded of today?

3. What words of encouragement do you see in Isaiah 53 and 54 for yourself? Or for someone else you know?

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Light. Will. Come.

Old Testament: Job Intro – found below

Poetry: Psalm 30

New Testament: John 10

Sometimes things are just hard. Life is not going our way. We’re feeling burdened, overwhelmed, or just plain sad. When we are stuck in the middle of these times, it can bring relief just to see the possibility of a light at the end of our dark tunnel. We don’t even have to see the light yet. Just knowing that it’s coming can lighten our load and bring a deep breath of hope.

I was talking with a friend recently who is feeling a lot of stress at work. My friend is doing her own job as well as another person’s job. When we talked, she told me that her company had posted the other person’s job and should be hiring to fill it soon. Even though her workload hadn’t changed, in that moment she felt a subtle lifting of her burden. The relief wasn’t there yet, but just knowing that it was coming gave her hope, and a boost to continue on until the relief actually showed up and she could go back to just doing her own job.

Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5b

Have you ever experienced insomnia? How about being up all night with a sick child (or sick self)? We’ve all been in those situations where we wish with every fiber of our being that morning would just arrive. And it does. Every single time.

Although some nights may be long and dark, joy will come again. The darkness may even get worse but God will meet you in your darkness and the light will come.

Life is not free of struggle or pain– not even for the most faithful servant of God. But in our pain and confusion, God is always with us, working for our good.

Isaiah 43:2 reminds us of that: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

It would be nice, wouldn’t it, if God promised that he’d take away all of our burdens? Snap his fingers and make everything sunshine and rainbows. The reasons why he doesn’t are probably many and accurate.

What he does promise us, though, is that not only will he be with us in the dark times (and as someone who is still afraid of the dark, that is no small gift) but he promises us that light will come. Let me say that again for those who need to let that sink in…

Light. Will. Come.

But even more than THAT, God doesn’t simply promise to give us peace at the end of the long, dark night. He offers dancing. Dancing!

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever. Psalm 30:11

Thanks, God. Thanks for being so kind to a dummy like me who, even though I know the morning always comes, still doubts…still fears in the darkness. And yes, thank you for asking, you may have this dance.

-Susan Landry

Reflection Questions

  1. Read Psalm 30 looking for how God is described and what He is doing/has done. Now re-read it and find how the Psalmist is responding. What image of God do you have after reading Psalm 30? What is your response?
  2. What is the darkest night/hardest struggle you have encountered so far? Are you still in it right now or have you already experienced some light/joy/and perhaps even dancing? How did you see God during the dark mourning – and also in the light morning?
  3. Who do you know who is stuck in a dark night right now and could benefit from hearing that the light is coming? How can you use God’s promises, His Word, and perhaps even this devotion to be an encouragement to this person? What/who can you also be praying for?
  4. After reading the Job Introduction below, how does it apply to today’s devotion?

Job Introduction

The Book of Job is about a righteous man named Job who remained faithful to God despite God allowing Satan to take everything from him except his life.  We don’t know who wrote this book, or even exactly when it took place.  Given Job’s age (he lived 140 years after the events recorded in the book), it’s likely Job lived around the time of Abraham, or possibly earlier.

In the first two chapters, we get a glimpse of one reason bad things happen to godly people – Job seemed to be a pawn in a cosmic battle to test Job’s integrity.  

Job had 3 “friends” who came to comfort him, but they were really more torment.  They consistently accused Job of hidden sins – otherwise, God wouldn’t be punishing him they said.  But Job consistently maintained his innocence.

Despite Job’s intense suffering, he maintained his belief in the resurrection, as is recorded in Job 19:25-27, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him, with my own eyes – I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!”  (This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.)

In the end, God Himself confronted Job, and eventually blessed Job with twice as many possessions at the end of his life as he had before his downfall – including 10 more children.

This is a good example to show us that we don’t need to understand why bad things are happening, we must just remain faithful, no matter what.  Job also shows us that we can be honest with God when we are suffering and when we don’t understand why things are happening.

Finally, no matter what happens to you, may you, with Job, be able to say, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him, with my own eyes – I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!”

-Steve Mattison

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Best Day Ever

Luke 24

Saturday, December 31, 2022

            It was frustrating writing about the way Jesus was tortured and killed, but I get to end the year by writing about the number one very best day in human history.  No other day could have been more exciting, felt so good, and impacted so many people, including you and me.

            Sorry, but I need to start off by dissing a bit on those who loved and supported Jesus throughout his ministry.  Were they not paying attention to what he said?  He told them he was going to die and be raised in three days.  Did nobody remember that fairly critical piece of information?  I could understand them being a bit skeptical and not totally believing that he was going to come back to life until they saw it with their own eyes, but it seems like the ladies that were going to visit the tomb should have been going there to see if it really happened on the third day.  Instead, they were convinced that he was still dead; moreover, they were perplexed when they didn’t find his body there.  Suddenly, two dazzlingly dressed dudes appeared to them and reminded them about the three-day thing.  They did remember at that point they had been told he was coming back to life, so they went back and reported what they had seen to the eleven apostles and others.

            Certainly, the apostles, of all people, would remember what was going to happen.  They had seen many amazing miracles with their own eyes, so of course, they would have enough faith to believe it could have happened, but no; they thought the story was nonsense and didn’t believe the women.  Peter does get some credit, though, because he bounced up, ran to the tomb, and marveled at what had happened.  He believed Jesus was alive before he actually saw him with his own eyes.

            Strangely enough, their sad state of mind made the day that much sweeter for them when they finally saw it was true that he was alive.  They had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but when he was killed, their hope of him saving the day vanished.  They incorrectly thought he was there to redeem Israel during that time.  They assumed he would get rid of the Roman government and save the world then – not later.  They were truly heartbroken and depressed when they saw Jesus die.

            Think about someone you loved dearly that died.  Perhaps, you saw them laying in the casket and then buried.  A few days have passed, and you are still raw with emotions, experiencing the sting of death.  Then picture the doorbell rings, you answer the door, and that person is standing there with a big smile on their face.  Whoa!!  How doubly incredibly happy you would be!  I think that’s how people felt when they saw Jesus alive again.  It had to be the best day ever!

            You may think it was a bit cruel for me to have you dwell on one of your loved ones that has died.  I am sure you are still missing them.  It still hurts.  However, the fact that Jesus was resurrected on that day a couple thousand years ago can be a promise about the future of your loved one.  If they accepted salvation in their lifetime, they too will come back to life and greet you with a big smile if you also are saved.  What an amazing day that will be – like the amazing day Jesus came back to life.  Jesus was the first to come back to life forevermore, but you or any of your loved ones that die before his return can be next up.

-Rick McClain

Time to ponder:

Do you agree that the resurrection of Jesus was the best day ever?  Can you think of a better day?

Most of Jesus’ closest followers soaked up every word he spoke and were convinced he was the Messiah, but their faith faded fast when something seemed to go very wrong.  Is your faith strong enough to make it through the tough times?

Jesus’ resurrection can give people great hope about the future, but only if they believe.  The story is absolutely meaningless to those who haven’t made the decision to follow God.  Is there a loved one in your life that needs to hear about the good news?

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Spiritual Darkness – and Light

1 John 1

Saturday, October 15, 2022

It is impossible for me to read this opening statement in 1 John 1:1 without immediately thinking of its strong parallel to John 1:1. John 1:1 says in the beginning was the word and 1 John 1:1 says that all they have seen and heard and touched – that was from the beginning (what beginning?) concerning the word of life. John was with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry, so he may be referring to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. There is a lot to unpack here, so I will leave that for another day, but you can think about some of these correlations.

John says that they are proclaiming the word so that his readers may have fellowship with John and his community, as well as fellowship with God and Jesus through the ministry of the word (that is an implication of having true fellowship with John et. al.). Also, John emphasizes that he is writing these things so that joy may be made complete. True joy, that transcends all circumstances, is a direct result of having fellowship with God and Jesus in a life of faith (see also James 1 for insight into the relationship between authentic faith and joy).

John then gets into a dichotomy between light and darkness. God is light and in him there is no darkness, therefore if we are walking in darkness (not in the midst of darkness but having elements of darkness ingrained into our life) we do not have fellowship with God. We are deceiving ourselves if we think that we can live a dualistic life embracing both God’s will and abiding in the ways of the world. Purity of heart precludes us from walking in darkness. If we’re doing this (walking in darkness), the implication is that we are liars and live a life that is antithetical to the truth.

Conversely, if we walk in the light (i.e., the truth, abide in the word), we have true fellowship with one another and we have our sins cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Walking in light does not mean that we have no sin, that would be a ridiculous assertion, but it means that we do not live lives defined by sin. We all stumble, but there is a difference between falling short and living in sinful pursuit. Our self-deception can come from being double-minded, or from a false notion that being forgiven makes us sinless. We are free from the bondage of sin through Christ, but we still fall short of perfection. In confessing our sin (and repenting of it), we are cleansed and through our faith are counted as righteous. If we don’t acknowledge our sinfulness, how can we confess (we can’t!)? Worse than deceiving ourselves, if we deny that we sin, we make God out to be a liar!

It’s not a good look to make God out to be a liar, so I would strongly encourage each of us to take into consideration our behaviors and not try to explain them in a way that denies the authority of scripture to call out wicked behavior and attempt to justify our (sinful) behavior as acceptable. Sin is offensive to God, so we should not attempt to explain it away as inoffensive. Confession is a powerful tool, and we should be quick to utilize this, rather than explain away or double down on any sinful elements that encroach on our lives. It is better to suffer for doing what is right now (deny our sinful desires) than to embrace sin and deception now and miss out on the amazing Kingdom of God (which will trump all imaginable satisfaction in this life).

-J.J. Fletcher

Reflection:

1. Do I regularly confess my sin to God? Do I confess my sin to other believers (1 or 2 people who you can trust) and reap the benefits of having accountability in brothers or sisters (who likely have had similar struggles) that can speak truth into my life?

2. What am I doing that could constitute self-deception? How might you assess and address this?

3. What relationships do I have that allow people to speak truth into my life? Do I surround myself with yes men? Do I live in an echo chamber? What changes can I make in my life that can help me more effectively eliminate sinful habits?

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The Long Game

James 1

Sunday, October 2, 2022

The letter of James has some of the most immediately practical wisdom you can find in the Bible. Some have called it the “Proverbs of the New Testament.” If you are looking for guidelines about how a Christian should live, James is a great place to start.

The only problem is that some of James’ advice is hard to take: 

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NRSV)

I don’t know about you, but when I’m going through difficult things in life, I’m not feeling joy. Isn’t joy supposed to be reserved for things that are… joyful? Isn’t joy for when people get married, or when babies are born, or when a new season of your favorite show is available to stream, or when you are going to have tacos? Yes, joy is for the good things in life.

So why does it sound like James is telling us to enjoy suffering? Is he insane?

Well, no. In order to understand what he is saying, we have to think of the long game. We’re not to be joyful because of the difficult times we are facing, but because of the growth potential they provide for us. Going through things teaches us to endure, and being able to endure makes us more mature and complete. Pressures shape us into stronger people. Recall that if you subject carbon to intense heat and pressure, you get diamonds!

Consider any elite athlete. They didn’t get where they are by accident, but through years of difficult and intense training. Do you think they truly enjoyed all of that training? Of course not, but I bet they did enjoy knowing that through their training, they were going to be the GOAT at their sport.

If you want your muscles to become stronger, you have to progressively challenge them. Likewise, when our faith is challenged, it also becomes stronger. James is asking us to take on the right attitude of joy during our times of discomfort, because we know that through those challenges, we are deepening and growing our faith.

In thinking about all these things, I’m reminded of the time Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, under unimaginable distress because he knew he would soon lose his life. Imminent death is the kind of thing that would test anyone’s faith, even Jesus. He didn’t want to go through with it any more than you’d want to drive a stake into your own eye socket. In his situation, I would have been tempted to just run away and wash my hands of the whole thing. I’d say to myself, “This whole messiah business has taken quite a turn and I just want a quiet life somewhere.” I can imagine he had that same temptation. Surely he didn’t enjoy being betrayed, put on trial, scourged, and nailed to a piece of wood to die in total humiliation.

Jesus didn’t have to do what he did, but he was thinking of the long game. Yes, he knew he would face a horrible death, but deep in his heart he had something resembling joy. Not joy because of the circumstances he was enduring, but because of what was just over the horizon. It was this joy and hope that allowed him to muster the strength to say with his dying breath, “It is finished.” He knew that his dying would mean, paradoxically, conquering over the powers of sin and death, and leading us on a mass exodus out of their clutches. He knew that his resurrection would unleash a new reign of God on the earth and again put us at one with God.

Jesus did what he did because he was thinking of us.

-Jay Laurent

A couple questions to reflect on:

1. What are some trials or difficult times that you have had to endure?

2. Can you think of any ways you grew as a result of these times?

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Rejoice Always

1 Thessalonians 5

Thursday, September 1, 2022

I have always loved 1 Thessalonians 5:16.  It is a very short verse.  In fact, in Greek, it is the shortest verse with only 2 words that combined have a total of 14 characters, whereas John 11:35 is 3 words with a combined total of 16 characters.  However, this verse has a big message behind those two words.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 is all about joy.  It commands you to have joy and to express it all the time.  This is a command that is repeated throughout many other passages in the Bible, including Philippians 4:4 and Psalm 32:11.  But, how many of us are constantly showing joy?  We all have times in our lives when it is hard to show joy.  For some people it may be the morning when they just woke up.  For others it might be right after finding out bad news.  Whatever it may be, you have had it try to stop you from feeling joy.  But, we need to each make the choice to choose joy.  In choosing joy, you are choosing to focus not on the problems you are momentarily facing, but on the gifts that God has given you.  We need to not choose joy sometimes, but all the time.


However, having joy all the time only partially fulfills what you are being commanded to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:16.  You are supposed to be rejoicing!  Rejoicing is more than just having the feeling of joy.  It is expressing that feeling of joy.  When I think of showing joy, I think of the song “I’ve Got Joy,” which says,


“I’ve got joy down in my heart,
Deep, deep down in my heart!
J-O-Y down in my heart,
Deep deep down in my heart!
Jesus put it there
And nothing can destroy it!
I’ve got joy down in my heart,
Deep, deep down in my heart!”


I love singing this song and it always brings a smile to my face when everyone is doing the motions for it.  But what makes this song even better are the little changes my family has made to the song, which were inspired by our friend Jeff.  Instead of singing the lyrics, “joy down in my heart, deep, deep down in my heart,” we sing, “joy exploding out of his head, deep, deep out of his head.”  We should all have such evident joy that the only way to describe it to others is to say that it is exploding out of your head.  Not only should it be exploding out of our heads sometimes, but it should be exploding out of our heads all the time, as we obey the command to rejoice always.


However, that is not the end to the slight changes my family has made to this song.  Instead of singing the lyrics, “And nothing can destroy it,” we sing, “And nothing can contain it.”  Our joy should not only always be exploding out of our heads, but we shouldn’t let anything stop it from exploding.  Nothing should be allowed to contain our joy inside our heads!  Our joy should always be exploding out!

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. On a scale of 1-10 how well do you choose joy? On the same scale, how well do you express that joy? One more time, on the same scale, how well do you express that joy all of the time?
  2. What do you sometimes allow to steal, destroy or contain your joy?
  3. We know life can be hard. We also know God is good. What blessings from God can you choose to focus on today? (Visit yesterday’s devotion if you need a blessing to start your list.)
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload

Standing Firm in the Lord

1 Thessalonians 3

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

When reading this chapter, the joy Paul had stood out to me.  Paul faced challenge after challenge, obstacle after obstacle as he worked to spread the gospel, yet he is still full of joy.


Paul starts the chapter by talking about how he feared that the Thessalonians would be led astray by the temptations and afflictions they would face.  He says that for this reason, he asked someone to report on their faith, hoping that all his work there wouldn’t have been in vain.  But when Timothy returned with a report about the Thessalonians, it became clear that they had stood firm in their faith through all the persecution they faced.


In verse 7, Paul writes that he and his companions were comforted by the news that Timothy brought.  The good news about the Thessalonians was so great that it provided comfort in the midst of affliction!  Paul states that they now really live if the Thessalonians stand firm in their faith.  The Thessalonians provided so much joy to the lives of Paul and his companions that it feels like they just started to really live!  In verse 9, Paul asks what thanks they can give to God for all the joy he has about the Thessalonians.  There is so much joy that he doesn’t even know how to put it into words to thank God.  This joy is so overwhelming that he can’t even start to understand how much thanks he needs to give God.


Are you filling others with as much joy as Paul is full of from the Thessalonians?  Are those who taught you the Bible filled with joy from the way it has changed your life?  Paul’s joy came from seeing that he was able to make this impact on the Thessalonians and that they were able to continue standing firm.  We each need to be like the Thessalonians, providing joy to our teachers and others as we continue to walk in the way of the Lord.


Are you filled with joy like Paul?  God has provided each of us with much more than we ever deserved.  None of us deserve salvation, but God offered it to each one of us.  Our lives should be full of joy because of this great gift.  I can’t even begin to thank God enough for everything that He has given me!


Paul’s response to this joy is shown in verse 10.  He says that he and his companions are earnestly praying that they may see the Thessalonians again and continue to strengthen their faith.  He doesn’t claim that his job is now done, as the Thessalonians were able to stand up to opposition.  Instead, he says that he wants to visit to teach them even more, to make them even stronger, lacking nothing in their faith.


What is your response to being filled with joy?  We need to be constantly giving thanks for all that we have been given, night and day praising God.  Are you asking God that you can continue to do the work which He has prepared for you or are you saying that your job is done?  This joy should cause you to want to do even more, spreading the good news to all those around you so that they too might experience this joy.

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. What is the biggest challenge you face in standing firm in the Lord? How can you ask for help from your brothers and sisters in Christ? (If you don’t have a church family yet – make it your first priority to find one!)
  2. Are there brothers and sisters or children in the faith that give you great joy when you see how they are standing firm in the faith even in the midst of trials? Let them know.
  3. Spend an extra ten minutes in prayer today thanking God.
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload

Filled with JOY

Psalm 126-128

Today, we will be reading from Psalm 126, 127, and 128. Wow, what an incredibly rich set of scriptures. As a worship leader at my local church in Nashville, I am always convicted to meet God in a deeper place when I read Psalms. These authors understood the honor and glory that worship brings to the LORD. 

I am in awe of the authenticity and vulnerability of these authors. I have always wanted to be able to worship like David — I hope to worship with him in the Kingdom. 

These specific Psalms are short in nature but packed for exaltation and prayer to God. I was specifically drawn to Psalm 126. 

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

    we were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

    and our tongue with shouts of joy;”  -Psalm 126: 1-2 

Have you ever been filled with so much joy that you can’t help but laugh? It’s the feeling where in that moment nothing else matters. All of the anxieties, worries, and struggles vanish in that brief time. I would like to think of this as a taste of the kingdom– where joy will be at home every morning. 

Today, my message is simple and short. Be a dreamer in God. Pray that he draws you closer to him. Pray for his plans for you to be made evident! And when he shows up (He is never late afterall), remember to give him the glory he is owed. 

Our God is a doer of great things. He has done so much for you. From raising his Son from the dead to bringing breath into your lungs, God has worked in your life. And he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Today’s song is “Great Things” by Phil Whikham. Is it theologically perfect? No. However, I believe it expresses the heart and mind of the author of Psalms who was brought to laughter from God’s providence. Yes and amen.

-Leslie Jones

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading plan passages at BibleGateway.com here – Ezekiel 39-40 and Psalm 126-128

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