“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 KJV). I have an app on my cell phone that tells me the number of steps I have taken daily. Sometimes I fall short…
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Proverbs 15:13 from the King James Version of the Holy Bible) Have you ever been in an incurable bad mood? Next time this happens, even if you are alone, put on the biggest…
“Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy” (Psalm 100:2, Holy Bible, New Living Translation). How many times have you entered a sanctuary or place of worship saddened by life’s wrong turns? Personal obstacles became roadblocks between you and God. You responded to the music, habitual praise from…
“Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you” (II Corinthians 13:11 in the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible). There is no feeling quite like giving or receiving encouragement. One of the positive aspects of social networking is…
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible) Are you living a life of worry and frustration or are you celebrating God’s blessings in spite of your circumstances? Christians have every reason to rejoice. Our eyes are focused on Jesus -…
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. (Psalm 100:2, Holy Bible, New Living Translation).
How many times have you entered a sanctuary or a place of worship saddened by life’s situations? You may have been there from an obligatory sense of duty or attended from habit. Perhaps your intentions were good, but your prayers shifted to complaints, hoping that God would see how unfair life has been to you. Your problems made it difficult to immerse yourself in worship. Joy was absent.
When life is a downer, don’t wait for joy to find you. Try the opposite. Worship with gusto. Sing with joy even if you don’t feel it. Your positive attitude can make a difference in your life and be an example to others.
Prayer: Lord, I will lay aside my problems and complaints when I enter the sanctuary. I will remember the words of the Psalmist and worship You with gladness with songs of joy. Amen.
Devotion by Violet Carr Moore
Psalms 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Have you ever had an unexpected situation sneak up on you in life? Did it completely catch you off guard? I experienced…
“They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” Psalm 34:5
Another translation of the Scriptures reads: “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
Have you ever watched someone receiving the Holy Spirit, their face just seems to glow with the presence of God? At that moment, they are completely shut in with the presence of God and are almost touching heaven. Their hearts are fully open to all that the Lord has for them, and their faces reflect His glory.
When we yield our all to Jesus, we have no reason to be ashamed. No matter what has transpired in our lives, what circumstances we have faced, when we repent and turn to Him, He forgives and He wipes it all away. We do not need to fear what others think about us. Our hearts have been cleansed by His precious blood, and He makes our face to shine with His glory.
Prayer: Lord may your glory be reflected on our faces, that others may desire to know You.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving.” (Luke 12:29 in The Message Bible) This time of year there is lots of laughter, music, fun and happy children, but there are also many suffering…