Posts Tagged ‘ Joy ’
I finally got back into making some videos! Hopefully, this is for a while.
This time around, this is a “Hey! How’s it going? It’s been a while!” type of video, with a reminder that through the good times and the bad, God is good.
Snow can be a reminder that God has said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)
It is a reminder that His grace has covered all our sins and troubles. Our troubles will not be removed until Christ’s return, but until then we have the promise that He is watching over us.
Therefore, as I have done many times before, I offer the comfort of the priestly blessing from Numbers 6:24-26:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13, NASB
When life gets hard and uncertain, look for God, how He is moving and acting in every situation. He is there. You will find Him if you search in earnest.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 ESV
Do not be deceived.
We are not promised victory in all of our endeavors. We are promised victory over sin, sadness, and unforgiveness and fear as we encounter temptation, troubles, and persecution.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22, ESV
Be kind to others, lifting each other up.
Encourage others, bring a shoulder or an arm to help.
Share the Lord, showing His joy and healing.
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Romans 12:12, KJV
No matter our circumstances, we have Christ as our example:
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17, ESV
By the Holy Spirit Christ lives within us. We join in the celebration of the redeemed, basking in the glory of the One who saves and loves us with gladness and singing.
As my mother-in-law says, happy people sing. And our heavenly Father is happy to save!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13, ESV
Our hope, joy, and peace are all found in Christ through the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
May you turn to God today and every day.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11, ESV
Christ is the only way to God and eternal life, and that is the only way to find peace and joy that not only endure but will last eternally.
It is time to finish up the series that first ran three years ago!
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It is now the fourth week of Advent! (See the last three weeks’ devotional thoughts here, here, and here.)
Again, Advent is a time to remember our Lord’s first coming as we look forward to His imminent return.
So, let us prepare hearts for encountering the Lord!
There is a slight twist today in presentation as well as seeing as it is Christmas Eve!
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
At first we are reminded that sometimes life is going well.
Then we are reminded that sometimes life is hard.
Life seems perfect and flawless.
Or we are dealing with an illness, a tragedy, or the loss of a loved one.
The answer, in any circumstance good or bad, is to fall on our knees and acknowledge that we need a Savior, to seek the God who came to save us from our sin and suffering by coming to us as an infant, the weakest of all things.
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
The Light of the world calls us to Himself, and only the wise heed His call. Only the wise understand that He truly understands all of our hurts and needs and can help us because He has been through it all.
And He deserves our adoration and worship.
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
It is not only our trials and pains which he helps, but He has called us to love all other people.
We not only see our need for salvation from sin and God’s wrath, we see our need for His love to fill our hearts, to treat our friends, enemies, and strangers alike as brothers and sisters, with love and compassion.
And for ever we shall worship Him and declare His awesomeness!
For He has come to save and will come again a final time to fully redeem His own, and that is the full promise of the gospel!
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Revelation 22:20-21, ESV
a simple man of God 