“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

— Psalm 16:11

Do you know something that grieves me? I grieve that the world has believed the lie that God is mean and narrow, a killjoy who thwarts our happiness. And even more tragic is that many Christians have succumbed to this lie. Many walk around with sad countenances and sorrowful attitudes. What picture of Christianity does this present to the world?

Have you believed the lie? Do you worry about having “too much fun,” afraid that if you enjoy yourself God will swoop down and zap you? Nothing could be further from the truth.

God originally planned for our lives to be full of joy and free from sorrow. In the beginning, God created a man and a woman, and He placed them in … the garden of sorrows? … the garden of misery? No. He placed them in the Garden of Eden. “Eden” is a Hebrew word transliterated as “a garden of delight, a garden of pleasure.” At the beginning of His plan for us, God created a garden of delight and pleasure. He put Adam and Eve there so that humankind might share His joy.

Though humankind disobeyed God, bringing sin and sorrow into the world, God didn’t give up on His plan. Instead, He gave us Jesus so that we might have another chance to live joyfully. Through His life, Jesus showed us the meaning of joy. While the Bible never says that Jesus laughed, we can safely surmise that He did. Furthermore, Jesus wept in our place because He took on our sin and our guilt, and His sorrow became our joy. The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” The second-shortest is “Rejoice evermore.” Rejoice evermore. Jesus wept on our behalf so that we might experience His joy, the joy that God bestows on us. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).

Through His sacrifice, Jesus has made joy available to all the world. Can the people around you see Christ’s joy in you? If they do, they’ll want some of it. So allow God to instill a joyful attitude in you, whatever the challenges you face.

“Christianity … carries in its heart the happiness of heaven.”
Hugh Brown

“… The just shall live by faith.”

— Romans 1:17

Do you want to know the secret of successful living? God wants to teach it to you. He wants you to know that you can trust Him for everything that happens in this world and in the world to come.

Do you trust God to take care of today and for that day when you shall see Him face to face?

Many people find life overwhelming. They look down the road of their lives and fear all sorts of impending disasters and tragedies, believing that nothing will work out right. As these people clearly and realistically look at the world, nothing looks encouraging, and, therefore, they worry.

And that’s just the way Satan likes it. He doesn’t want us to trust God. He wants us to fret about our lives, so he attempts to entice us into living for ourselves, in our own power. He says, “Come and do it my way. Forget about God. Try it this way. Live for the pleasures of the flesh. You only go around once; grab all the gusto you can.” If we don’t follow him but instead persist in following God, then what does Satan do? He screams, “Look out! Calamity! The bridge is out. Disaster ahead! Everything is going to go to pieces.” Satan wants to fill our hearts with fear and despair so that if we follow God, at least we’ll do it with long faces, furrowed brows, and hearts devoid of joy.

But Romans 1:17 offers the solution for troubles, despair, and hopelessness: “The just shall live by faith.” This Scripture communicates the brightness of an everlasting hope in Christ. As we trust in Christ, he protects us. He takes care of our needs, our concerns. As we look to Him, the brooding mists of gray seem to dissolve, and we walk right through them.

You now know the secret of successful living. Live by it. Refuse to listen to Satan’s whisperings. Instead, trust Jesus Christ for this day and for all your tomorrows.

“Be not dismayed whatever betide;
God will take care of you.”
Hymn

“Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”

— Job 5:7

“You’re in trouble.” If you’re a living, breathing human being (and if you can read this, I assume you are), those words apply to you. We don’t like this fact of life, but we just can’t escape trouble. Because we live in a sinful world, we can expect it. But though we can’t avoid trouble, we can determine how we’ll handle it. In fact, our lives are shaped, to a large extent, by how we deal with the troubles that come our way. Some people face trouble with despair, others with hope. Some approach trials in the agony of doubt, others in faith.

But what does trouble do in our lives? Some troubles can act as preparation. They clear the way for God to do greater works in our lives. When God sent His Son into the world in preparation for His greatest work—our salvation—there was great trouble on the earth. Herod commanded the massive slaughter of the innocents at Bethlehem. But that pain ushered our Savior into the world. Trouble can act as the grindstone upon which God sharpens the ax of battle.

Trouble can also be education. We learn things when in trouble that we don’t learn any other way. Many have risen from the furnace of affliction to say they’ve heard God’s voice as never before. Dear friends, stars come out only at night. We learn lessons in the darkness that we never learn when the sun shines brightly.

In addition, trouble can be revelation. As we endure our troubles, we learn a great deal about our character. Shadrach’s, Meshach’s, and Abednego’s characters were never more fully revealed than in the glow of the open door of Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. When the heat is on, the real person emerges.

Is trouble hounding you today? Instead of attempting to avoid the inevitable, seek the Lord in your trouble and allow Him to prepare you, educate you, and reveal your character according to His design.

“Even a misfortune may prove useful in three years.”
Japanese Proverb

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

— John 17:3

Do you yearn to know God? Do you long for a special relationship with the Father, the intimate knowing that comes from interacting with Him as His child?

The stronger we grow as Christians, the closer we grow to God. As the New Testament says, we “grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

But how do we get to know God better? First, we spend time with Him. Every relationship grows with time and tender care, including a relationship with God. In the psalms we read, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Yet achieving this stillness is difficult. Noise and diversion constantly bombard us; we struggle to have quiet time alone with God. But if we want to know Him better, we have to discipline ourselves to carve out quiet time and space to be with God. And as we fall silent, we can hear God speak to us about His nature.

We can also grow closer to the Father by obeying His commands. Scripture tells us that we’ll know God better as we follow His instructions. We can’t grow closer to Christ while knowingly living in disobedience. If you want to know Him, obey Him in everything.

We also learn more about God by loving Him. The Bible says, “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God … for God is love” (1 John 4:7–8). Christ laid down His life on the cross for us, and in return we need to love Him sacrificially, laying down our lives for God, submitting our will for His glory. As we do this, we discover more about God’s sovereignty and love.

Does your soul pant for a more intimate relationship with God? Then spend time with Him this very moment, in His word, in a quiet place. Choose to live obediently, and focus your love on Him. Do so, and you’ll come to know Him who loves you with a love far beyond anything humans can offer. You’ll find the fulfillment of your heart’s desire.

“Our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in Thee.”
St. Augustine

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

— Ephesians 5:8

Have you ever visited a historical village where a lamplighter lights the street lamps at night? If you have, then you can relate to what Sir Henry Lauder, a famous Scotsman of the turn of the century, saw as he watched a lamplighter one evening at the Hotel Cecil: “I was sitting in the gloaming [dusk], and a man passed the window. He was the lamplighter. He pushed his pole into the lamp and lighted it. Then he went to another and another. Now I couldn’t see him. But I knew where he was by the lights as they broke out down the street, until he had left a beautiful avenue of lights. You are lamplighters. They’ll know where you’ve been by the light you have lit.”

Christ said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12) and “The light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). All of those in whom the Light of life—Jesus Christ—burns brightly must bring light to those who sit in the shadow of darkness so that upon them the wondrous light of Christ might shine. We are the lamplighters. The darkened lamps are the lives and souls of lost men and women who sit in sin’s dark night, far apart from God’s life and light. The flame is Jesus Christ burning within our hearts through His Spirit. The pole is the presentation of Jesus Christ.

Are you a lamplighter for Christ? Have you touched the dark world with the Light of Jesus Christ, encouraging lost men and women to catch fire? The world will know where you are—what you believe—by the lights you have lit. Ask God to teach you the joy of spreading Christ’s Light in a dark world.

“O Lord, send me to the darkest spot on earth!”
Prayer Of John Mackenzie
(19th Century Scottish Missionary To Africa)

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

— Colossians 3:13

Has anyone ever hurt you so deeply that you not only refrained from forgiving that person but you also waited for poetic justice to catch up with him or her, perhaps helping it along by planning a little retribution yourself? “Revenge is sweet,” says the world, and we often buy into that mentality. But while revenge may offer sweet satisfaction, it sure isn’t Biblical. God tells us that vengeance is His; He will take unjust matters into His hands. (Besides, revenge doesn’t often turn out that sweet; usually it just brings on disaster.)

God tells us to forgive those who have sinned against us, even our enemies. I believe that we can’t truly forgive others until we’ve experienced God’s forgiveness for our offenses against Him. People who don’t know Christ often find it difficult to forgive people who have “done them dirt.” But Christians, who have experienced God’s full forgiveness, must radiate a forgiving nature.

The Bible says a great deal about forgiveness, particularly about our need for it. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Jesus instructs us to ask God for forgiveness. We can’t experience a full relationship with God unless we regularly confess our sinfulness to Him.

But that petition has a second part: We need to forgive others. Christ underscored this by commenting that only when we forgive others will God forgive us (Matthew 6:14–15). This is the only condition God describes for our own forgiveness. Forgiving others comes hard to our fallen natures, but it’s crucial to our walk with the Lord. Our forgiveness of others is the indispensable sign and seal of God’s forgiveness of us. Since the ultimate Christian quality is love, we should remember that in a world of fallen creatures, where we continually sin against one another, we must show our love through forgiveness.

Since God has forgiven us, how can we not forgive others? Who do you need to forgive today?

“Christians aren’t perfect. Just forgiven.”
Bumper Sticker

“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

— Psalm 118:24

How is your day going so far? Are you enjoying it, unfettered by regrets about the past and worries about the future? Or do you find your mind focused on everything else but this day?

When I wake up each morning, I like to quote aloud Psalm 118:24—“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” We need to focus on the present moment. The psalmist encourages us to seize the day … the moment … and rejoice and be glad in it. We can’t leave our happiness in the past, thinking our best days are behind us. Nor should we wait until tomorrow to rejoice. Today, at this very moment, we must be glad because this day and this moment are gifts from God.

Enjoying each day is like the art of reading aloud. When you read aloud, you must pay attention to each word you read as you read it, putting the appropriate emphasis and nuance on every word to impact the hearer as you desire. You cannot let your thoughts race three or four words ahead of the words you are presently saying. Doing so causes the words to lose their meaning and impact. Similarly, do not think about rejoicing tomorrow. Such thoughts cause today to lose its importance in your life. Instead, think about rejoicing today … and do it.

Why can we be so free to think only of today? Because, unlike the atheistic existentialist who blocks out the past and the future, the Christian can perceive and enjoy past and future events for their own value. Christians can look to the past—to the Crucifixion and the Resurrection—and rejoice in forgiveness, cleansing from sin, and spiritual renewal. Christ has disposed of sin, shame, and guilt. As Christians we can trust Christ with our past, knowing that He has erased our transgressions and made us new persons in His family. Our salvation is great cause for celebrating today.

In the same way, we can rejoice today because we trust Christ with our future. As Christians we look ahead and boldly affirm the glorious tomorrow that awaits us. We eagerly anticipate Christ’s return, an event that will usher in freedom from pain, fear, and death. The sovereign Lord has tomorrow in His hands, and He works all things together for good. We can rely on that truth. Today, lay your feelings about yesterday and your anxieties about tomorrow at Christ’s feet. Trust Him with your past and with your future, and rejoice in each moment of this day, a gift from God to you.

“Live in day-tight compartments.”
Sir William Osler

“And it shall come to pass … that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

— Joshua 3:13

Remember the last time you faced a situation so daunting that you didn’t know how to respond, a situation in which all potential solutions just produced more challenges? Perhaps you’re facing this kind of situation today.

Life seems to constantly throw challenges in our paths. We overcome one challenge, and there’s another one in our way. And the greater level of comfort we seek in life, the greater our consternation when hardships arise.

But if we’re to grow in Christ, we must persevere. Consider what Joshua faced. As Moses’ successor, Joshua had been commissioned by God to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. After the Israelites had wandered in the desert aimlessly for years, God finally led them out of the sands and to the river’s edge.

The Israelites had never come to this point before, and despite the heat and rough terrain, they’d grown familiar and comfortable with the desert. At the river’s edge, the Israelites confronted a new fear. The river was not fordable, and beyond it were walled cities and hostile tribes. But consider the troubles they were leaving behind: a desert and raging sun that had consumed a generation of Israelites. If they stepped into the river, they’d leave all that behind and enter the green and pleasant land of Canaan. Joshua led them into taking a step of faith, and God miraculously opened up the Jordan River. From there, God helped the Israelites conquer one tribe after another in order to inhabit the Promised Land.

We can identify with the Israelites’ situation. All at once something disrupts our usual flow: a new danger, a new fear, a new expectation, a new unknown. We get comfortable with the familiar and hesitate to engage in a new endeavor. But when we challenge new obstacles, we simultaneously leave others behind.

Are you facing a new possibility today, something unknown, unfamiliar, maybe even a bit dangerous? If God calls you to move ahead, step into the river. Don’t hesitate to trust God. He anxiously waits to bestow His blessings on you as you follow His call.

“There is no education like adversity.”
Benjamin Disraeli

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

— Romans 8:9

Have you ever wondered about the role of the Holy Spirit in Christianity and in your life? Well, literally hundreds of verses from Genesis to Revelation describe the work of the Holy Spirit, and as you delve into them, you’ll discover that the Holy Spirit has played and continues to play an active role in your faith.

Just as God the Father is in everything, so, too, is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit played an important part in the creation of the world. In Genesis we read that “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” as the earth formed. As well, the Holy Spirit caused Christ to be conceived in Mary’s womb. The angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you … therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). And the Holy Spirit, with the Father and Son, participated in Christ’s resurrection.

When we allow Him to, the Holy Spirit will do mighty works within us. For example, the Spirit regenerates us, resurrecting us from spiritual death when we commit our lives to Jesus. Christ says we must be “born of the Spirit” if we want to enter God’s kingdom. And so, the Spirit grants us new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit also sanctifies us, purifies us, and cultivates within us the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To experience the fullness of God’s power in our lives, we must allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. Invite the Holy Spirit to do so today, then watch as He responds.

“We must not be content to be cleansed from
sin; we must be filled with the Spirit.”
John Fletcher

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

— Revelation 2:4

Many of us vividly remember the day we gave our hearts to Christ. We were awash in love and warmth. Ah, my friends, our first love. There is nothing that can replace the first time we felt saturated with unconditional love.

Sadly, though, many of us have gone adrift. Our hearts have wandered. Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you’re not feeling as connected with God as you once did. Or maybe you don’t have your old passion for doing God’s will.

We all need to ask ourselves, “Have I remained true to my first love? Do I love Christ as when I first loved Him?” If not, Christ has a solution for those of us with diseased hearts.

There are three parts to Christ’s “prescription.” The first is to remember from where we have come. Christ says, “Remember from whence thou art fallen.” God asks us to respond wholeheartedly to our salvation. We can give no less. Christ has loved us even to the point of enduring the pit of Hell for our sake. How can we not reciprocate this love? God created and saved us to love Him forever.

The second part of Christ’s prescription is repentance. Because of evil, our love for God may have become lukewarm. Satan works to cool that love and constantly pours the waters of this world and its trappings upon us to kill the flame of our love for Christ. To revive that fire, we must confess and turn away from evil.

The third part is our return. God wants us to turn back to Him fully, holding nothing back. We must get down on our knees. Once we’ve humbled ourselves before God, we must ask Him to light such a flame in our hearts that it shall never go out. We need to ask for His forgiveness and cleansing and the ability to move forward in His grace.

When we are in love, we can accomplish all sorts of things for the object of our affections. When we’re out of love, even the smallest effort can seem burdensome. Today ask God to show you what your first love is. If you find that it isn’t Him, ask Him to help you remember where you came from, repent of your lukewarm attitude, and return to that fire of your first love.

“Oh, make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee.”
“O Sacred Head” (Hymn)