Devotionals

Intro: Whether you were with family, friends, or by yourself, I trust you had a blessed and glorious time of celebrating the birth of the Christ. The first Advent of Jesus changed everything, because he came to bring humanity life from above; so we could enjoy God with us! Jesus makes us spiritually alive, so we can model his loving character with human action.

The Christian’s purpose is to live by faith in Christ and reveal the character of God, everyday. We now live to worship him each day by being conformed to his image and bringing glory to his name (Ro 8:29; Ro 12:1; Gal 2:20). Jesus gave us his Spirit, so we could be his redeemed flesh. God is the Life of believers, so no matter what we are doing we are to reveal our faith and trust in God through our faith-filled words and faith-driven actions.

In our passage today, the Apostle John teaches believers everywhere about being spiritual children of God. We are learning how to live by faith and empowered by the Spirit. This is how we overcome the influence of evil in the world; we live by faith in the Son of God. Some days our load may be heavy; perhaps we are not sure we are going to be able to carry on. However, we must remember God’s grace is sufficient for every need and he is working a greater measure of trust within us (Mat 11:28-30). We need to simply pray and ask for more grace and strength. May God’s strength fill you today for whatever comes your way.

1 John 5:1-12 Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. 7 So we have these three witnesses— 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. 9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. 10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the spiritual Life I need each day. I have faith in your ability to help me overcome every obstacle. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Yesterday we celebrated the greatest gift this earthly realm could ever receive, and that is Christ. We know that through His death and resurrection, we are offered the choice of salvation and eternal forgiveness and life from this dark and sinful world. That alone should have praises rolling off of our mouths at all times.

Today’s psalm begins and ends with “Praise the LORD!”. The psalmist is calling on the attention of heaven and earth, so all of creation, to be included in praising the Lord. In the first part of the psalm, we see praises from above us within the Heavenly realm, and then in the second half we see the earthly realm joining with all of creation to sing praises to the Lord.

In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John sees all of heaven and earth praising the Lord. We must remember that John’s vision is yet to come, and we want to be a part of those who are praising our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; for He is the only Way, Truth, and Life to the Father (John 14:6). “And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: ‘Blessings and honor and glory and power belong to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.’” (Revelation 5:13)

Psalm 148 (NLT)

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,
wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock,
small scurrying animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women,
old men and children.

13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong,
honoring his faithful ones—
the people of Israel who are close to him.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming the first time to save us from our sinful ways. We look forward to when You return for Your Church, and we want to be ready. So, please help us to follow You and the path that You have for us at all times. Quicken our souls to repent when we are not in Oneness with Your Spirit. Help us, Jesus, to be living each moment for eternity, right now. We join with all of Heaven as we lift up this prayer and praise Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: The Bible—the Word of God—reveals so many miracles within its pages, because nothing is impossible with God if people will believe [Mk 9:23]. Miracles display the love and power of God over even the natural order of things, because God compassionately responds to human need. God created the human race, so he is most certainly going to care for us.

Please consider three of God’s greatest miracles he performed for the purpose of meeting human need if we will believe: 1) The Word of God miraculously came down from heaven and became human—in the form of a humble baby—to show humanity the Way we were originally created to live in the world; 2) The Word of God humbly laid down his physical life of Truth in exchange for our human life filled with sin [lies of Satan] in order to be the powerful and redeeming Door of Hope for the believer’s eternal life and future miraculous resurrection from the dead; and 3) The Word of God is the new miraculous Life imparted to believers and empowered by the Holy Spirit so we can now live the Truth in the midst of a world filled with sin [lies/rebellion against God] [Jo 10:7, 14:6].

This is the miracle of Christmas: The Lord of Love has been born as a Gift to humanity. The Lord of Love came with the purpose of being the Savior for humanity. The Lord of Love now offers humanity new life—eternal life—that is filled with His perfect presence. Believers now live with the anticipation that at any moment the divine life and activity of God may be revealed through and around us. Let the Word open your spiritual eyes and ears! Merry Christmas!

John 1:1-5 Christ Lived Before the World Was Made
1 The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it. 4 Life began by Him. His Life was the Light for men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.

Prayer: Lord of Love, we thank you for every miraculous act you have performed on our behalf. Thank you for the overflowing blessings you have given believers. We rejoice and give you praise! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

NOTE: Please join us for our Christmas Eve service tonight at 6:30PM. We will sing amazing carols of praise, ponder the Word, and celebrate at the Lord’s table. We will conclude with candle lighting to remind us we are the Light [revelation] of God’s shalom—his restoring wholeness—the world needs. This is our beautiful time to celebrate together, because we will not be offering a Christmas Day service. Blessings!

Intro:  Grace is a beautiful gift from God—in kindness God stooped down to rescue humanity from evil’s work of sin and death. Therefore, grace is about God’s love and redemption—an act of salvation— and is at the center of the Good News.  Jesus is God’s gracious gift [Gk. kharis] who came into the world to take on flesh and save us from eternal destruction—separated from the glorious presence of God and eternal life (Jo 1:14; Mt 25:26; 2 Thes 1:9).  

Although grace was certainly active in the Old Testament, we tend to connect grace with the first advent of Jesus the Christ.  Most assuredly, God sent his Son to be our gift of Love, eternal Life, and our Savior in living. We are saved by grace, continue to grow in grace, and learn to rely on the grace provided as we follow Christ each day (Eph 2:8; 2 Pt 3:18; 2 Cor 9:8).  Dwight L. Moody once said, “Grace isn’t a little prayer you chat before receiving a meal.  It’s a way to live. The law tells me how crooked I am.  Grace comes along and straitens me out.”  Jesus came to earth to be born into our humanity, so we could be born anew into his divinity.  Grace makes that transformation possible—saved from living life without our Creator, so we can live like Jesus.

If we are going to follow Jesus beyond the demands of our flesh and into godly living, we must have sufficient grace (2 Cor 12:9).  God is working in our lives and provides grace to produce his character in us: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” (Gal 5:22-23).  Just think; God’s grace has already been provided for us each day and is simply waiting for us to appropriate it; whatever strength I need and whatever challenges I may face God is there to make me victorious.  This is the Good News of Immanuel—God with us.  This is the Christmas Story the world needs to hear.

Titus 2:11-14 NLT

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Prayer:  Lord, it cost you everything to provide grace for me, even though all I have to do is receive it.  You are so loving and good and I certainly do not deserve your grace, but thank you for your perfect and priceless Christmas Gift found in Jesus.  Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.  Thank you, Lord, for making me whole.  Thank you, Lord, for giving to me, Thy great salvation so rich and free.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Intro: Our focus this week is on the first advent of righteous Love who came to earth in the form of an innocent baby [Lk 2:12]. Our Child King came to save us from the penalty of sin [death], set us free from the power of sin, and live within us so we would no longer violate the commands of God’s divine Love [Mt 1:21; Ro 6:23; Ro 8:2]. As believers, we are now called to live by faith in the only One who can help us to deny ourselves, carry our cross [sacrifice our will], and follow our King on the righteous path of agape [Mt 16:24].

Agape is defined by Strong’s Greek Concordance as “God’s love and goodwill.” Agape is love which centers in moral preference; God’s divine love and what He prefers. When the angels appeared to the shepherds on the night Christ was born, their song of praise was, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Agape came to make a Way of peace between God and humanity. By an act of our faith, agape continues to work renewing the minds of believers and helping us live in a way that pleases God [Hb 11:6]. As we spend time in the Bible each day, we witness God truly is Agape and he faithfully acts for the goodwill of His human creation [1 Jo 4:8-9].

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul expresses the need for agape and lays out the nature of God’s love offered to humanity. So, we must understand: 1) Love is not a fuzzy emotion, but rather a righteous choice we make to live in the Truth even if it calls for sacrifice; 2) Love always believes in God’s faithfulness to protect his children no matter what we may face; 3) Love is hard work, but we rely on God’s strength rather than our weakness; and 4) Love is never focused on selfish gain or fulfillment that would violate the commands of God. If believers do not stay true to the commands of agape, sin will prevail and the Body’s love will grow cold before the second advent of the King [Mt 24:12]. We need Immanuel—God with us—in order to live a life of agape.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 VOICE 4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; 5 it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs 6 or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! 7 Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.

Prayer:  Lord, You brought supernatural agape to the hearts of believers and Your Word teaches we will be judged by how we appropriate and share it while in this selfish and sinful world. Please help us by renewing our minds each day. Help us guard the Truth of Your love in our hearts, so we will not allow the pride-filled air of this sinful world to snuff it out. May agape flourish in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro:   When I was a child, I spent a great deal of time enjoying puzzles—I enjoyed seeing a picture develop one piece at a time.  One of my favorite types of puzzles was connect-the-dots.  Perhaps you remember them.  It was basically line art using ascending numbered dots.  When the line accurately connected all the dots, a fairly complex picture would emerged.  If the numbered dots were not followed accurately, a distorted image would appear.

Did you know faith was imparted so you and I could connect the dots of Truth given so beautifully in Scripture?  We need the wisdom of God and when connected with faith it brings revelation—the unveiling of Truth—to guard against a distorted picture of God in whose image we were made [Gen 1:27]. Scripture is the self-revelation of Creator God to his creation.  God wants us to know who He is so we grow in our understanding of who we are in Christ.  The Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures do a great job of offering ascending dots of Truth and when connected an overwhelming and miraculous image of God and his loving character begins to rise up in the core of our being.

In his letters to early believers, the Apostle Paul does a great job of connecting some Old Testament and New Testament faith “dots” for the Bride of Christ [Church] regarding God’s two covenants.  He uses allegory to show the deeper meaning by contrasting two women: an enslaved bride [under the law—Hagar] and a free bride [in Christ—Sarah].  Paul reminds the churches in Galatia that believers are not made righteous by the law, but by obedience to Christ—the Living Word of God.  

God so loved the world that he gave his Son… (Jo 3:16). In his first advent, Love came down—Christ came to die in order to set us free from sin and make us right with the Father.  Now, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us grow up in the nature of Christ—empowered to produce the righteous fruit of God. We do not have to follow our sinful flesh; we are free to follow the Spirit.  So, allow the tremendous love of God to help you mature and produce the nature of Christ in and through you.  As we grow up in Christ—children of the promise—we begin to live in a way that fulfills the purpose of the law—Agape LOVE!

Galatians 4:21-5:1 NLT Abraham’s Two Children

21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,
    you who have never given birth!
Break into a joyful shout,
    you who have never been in labor!
For the desolate woman now has more children
    than the woman who lives with her husband!”

28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

Freedom in Christ

5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Prayer:  Lord, thank You for being the Way to Truth and Life.  During this Christmas season, help us, as children of the promise, to obey Your commands of love.  Thank You for the Holy Spirit who leads us into righteous fruit production.  Then, others around us will have an accurate image of you.   In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Today’s passage is Hannah’s prayer to the Lord which is found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. As a reminder, Hannah’s song of praise is in response to the Lord’s answer to her many prayers for a child, and her prayer contains great prophetic messianic significance.

Earlier this week, during Bible study, Pastor Mary brought us through Luke 1. When we arrived at “The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise” (v. 46-56), I was overwhelmed by the similarities between Mary and Hannah’s Songs of Praise and their circumstances.

Both, Hannah and Mary, experienced miraculous ways of conception, each mother dedicated their son to the Lord, their sons dedicated their lives to God (even though One is God Incarnate), both women were faithful in their response to the Lord’s blessing in being a vital part of bringing Samuel and Jesus into this world; and thus, we are able to witness God’s purpose and plan revealed through Hannah and Mary.

Some people do not believe that motherhood is as important as other roles. Like, Esther saved God’s people and Deborah was a leader of God’s people, while Hannah and Mary were “simply” mothers. But these two women raised up children who were prepared by their influence to serve God and in doing so their sons fulfilled their divine role in God’s plan to liberate His people.

What can you and I learn from Hannah and Mary? There is so much, but we can start by recognizing that they were both willing servants of God, and we need are called to do the same. Also, as a result of their faithful hearts God blessed them, and He wants to bless us. God was also able to use Hannah and Mary to further His Kingdom, which is what you and I can only pray He is able to do with each of us.

1 Samuel 2:1-10 (NLT)
Hannah’s Prayer of Praise

1Then Hannah prayed:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
I rejoice because you rescued me.

2 No one is holy like the Lord!
There is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
he will judge your actions.

4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
and those who stumbled are now strong.

5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
and the woman with many children wastes away.

6 The Lord gives both death and life;
he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.

7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.

8 He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
and he has set the world in order.

9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.

10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
the Lord judges throughout the earth.

He gives power to his king;
he increases the strength of his anointed one.”

Prayer: Jesus, please help us to be more faithful and to have servant hearts like Hannah and Mary. Please guide us with Your wisdom and grow us in our hope, peace, joy, and love so that we can have confident trust in Your call on our lives to serve the Kingdom. We ask all of this in Your Holy and Precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: As we continue on in Paul’s letter to the Galatians from yesterday, let’s reaffirm that God’s purpose for the law in the lives of his children has been fulfilled in Christ. We cannot be saved by obeying the law of Moses because human flesh cannot fulfill it; salvation comes only by connecting to Christ and obeying him. However, in obeying and following Christ, we will choose to live righteously by loving God wholeheartedly [with every aspect of our being], as well as loving our neighbors [everyone else] and ourselves in a righteous way. Christ is our plumb line for righteousness, so we are following in oneness with Christ, because he is One with Father God.

In our passage today, we understand God’s timing has always been amazing and at just the right time the Father sent the Son in his first advent to fulfill all righteousness [the law] (Mat 3:13-15). Now, in Christ’s righteousness, believers are God’s adopted children (Ro 8:15-17). Our relationship with God is like a child with a parent; we are learning how to outwardly put on and live in Christ’s righteousness—with the help of the Holy Spirit—so we can please the Father. Paul had to correct the early Galatian believers many times about trying to please God by relying on the law instead of resting [by faith] in grace and truth—God’s work to offer redemption to humanity is now complete.

Jesus is our rest [Heb. “shabbat”—we stop working to make ourselves righteous], because Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath [fulfills the spiritual intent and divine purpose of rest]. Jesus is the One who settles us [Heb. “nuakh” Christ becomes our abiding place] and makes us holy! Christ gives the law its true meaning and makes it relevant for our lives (Mat 7:28-29). 

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes believers way beyond a mere act [of physical rest] to the motive of the heart [rest and abiding trust in the truth]. We are ordained to live in the holiness of Christ—to let our light shine—every single day. Jesus said, “My Father has entrusted everything to me…Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest [refreshment]. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest [cessation of your works] for your souls (Mat 11:27-29). The purpose of the Sabbath is about enjoying Oneness or wholeness with God.  During worship, we come together to rest from the world, express our wholehearted love to God and rest in our devotion to him, celebrate all Christ has done for us through his merciful redemption, and grow in our understanding from the Word about how we extend love and mercy to the world who has no idea about the goodness of God to provide redemption and a dwelling place for humanity. Tell someone the Good News with great Joy, today! (Luke 2:10).

Galatians 4:1-7 NLT

1 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Prayer:  Abba, thank you for always revealing to our hearts the truth of your intent for our lives.  We do not have to guess about how or when you want us to worship; we find our rest in your presence every day.  Everything you put into place is for our good, because you are preparing us for an eternity of righteousness and worship. Every day we will cling to our Sabbath Rest!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Intro:  In my prayer time yesterday, my conversation with God included, “Lord, I am so grateful and joyful for your righteousness, but please continue to grow me in faith!” Faith is the substance of things we hope for and the evidence of things not yet seen (Heb 11:1).  The reason for that prayer is because I believe [in Christ] I have received great promises from God and I want to have the faith to use every blessing for the growth of his Kingdom. I want to see people experience the salvation Jesus truly offers—a vibrant and eternal relationship with our Creator!  Scripture teaches abundant life—one filled with God’s blessings—comes by believing; faith in Christ [putting on Christ’s righteousness] is the only way to have a right relationship with God (Eph 4:24). When we stand in that place of faith in Christ and obedience to his will, we can ask for God’s provision in prayer and receive (Mat 21:22).

For the believer, joy is the residue of the first AND second advent of Christ because Jesus is the joy of our salvation.  We joyfully accept and receive him as the righteous Lamb who gave his life for the sins of the world.  We joyfully look for his return one day as the Lion who will rule the world in righteousness.  We believe in the work of Christ and put him on as our new identity.  Therefore, faith in Christ [who fulfilled the law’s purpose] is essential and when we truly understand the tremendous and liberating blessing of life with Christ we will serve and obey God’s commands of love while being joyfully led by the Holy Spirit (Mat 5:17-18).

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul seeks to drive the truth home to the Galatians about faith in Christ who was the perfect law-abiding descendant of Abraham; Christ makes all believers heirs to God’s promises. We all must come to Christ; therefore, we all receive God’s promises in the same exact way.  Believers are all being made anew in Christ’s image as his empowered descendants of faith (Gen 1:27; Eph 2:14-18; Col 2:6-7). 

Galatians 3:23-29 NLT God’s Children through Faith

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for making us your sons and daughters of faith.  May we grow in the substance of faith and operate in your eternal promises each day.  Help us to produce the joy of our salvation. The world needs to see and experience the power outflowing your resurrection.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Intro:  Sometimes the holidays—for a variety of reasons—leave people feeling lonely, discouraged, or even empty.  It is understandable, because life can change in a moment and sometimes we are simply not prepared for how that change will affect us. I’m thinking right now about some of our neighbors on the southwestern coast of Florida who lost jobs, homes, and even loved ones when hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022.  For many, they may be longing for the holiday celebrations they enjoyed in the past.

In our passage today, the psalmist longs to go to Jerusalem and worship.  He longs to celebrate the nation’s God-given holidays and festivals in the temple; however, that is quite impossible because Israel is in exile.  The psalmist and the people long for the festival celebrations they enjoyed in the past.

This week we are learning more about the power of inward joy—a fruit produced by the Holy Spirit.  Joy is an amazing gift from God, because it is not based on outward circumstances.  Joy is rooted in a person’s relationship with God.  The joy of the Lord is strong and is able to withstand and recover quickly from difficult situations.  Joy is experienced when we believe the truth that God will make all things work together for our good when we love him and are called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28).  So, no matter what we face in this temporal life—things we can’t control or even the consequences of our own sinful choices—God is faithful.  Put your hope and trust in the Lord, because he is your Savior.  Let his joy fill you.

Psalm 42:1-5 NLT

1 

As the deer longs for streams of water,
    so I long for you, O God.

2 

I thirst for God, the living God.
    When can I go and stand before him?

3 

Day and night I have only tears for food,
    while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
    “Where is this God of yours?”

4 

My heart is breaking
    as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
    leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
    amid the sound of a great celebration!

5 

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and 6 my God!

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for making your presence available to us.  In your presence, we find the fulness of joy.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.