“… sorrowful, yet always rejoicing …”

— 2 Corinthians 6:10

In the midst of a recent illness, at a time when I felt such pain that tears coursed down my cheeks and fell to the floor, I could honestly say to my wife, “I believe that God is good and will yet lift me up out of this.” And in my heart, in the midst of the pain and tears, I rejoiced in God’s goodness. I rejoice because my faith rests upon those things that God has told me; therefore, no matter what my circumstances are, I always have something to rejoice about.

How can God command us to rejoice when we feel miserable? One reason is very clear: A joyful Christian serves as the best possible testimony for Jesus Christ. When we rejoice, the world sees that Christ has fulfilled His promise to give us His joy abundantly. That joy goes beyond what we can summon up within ourselves and cannot be diluted by the challenges life hands us. Paul wrote his famous words, “Rejoice in the Lord always” while in the depths of a Roman prison. He was in chains, awaiting a capital trial. His prospects were dreary, his hope almost nonexistent, and his comforts nil. Yet despite all this, he said, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

The secret, of course, is found in the words “in the Lord.” So many people seek happiness and do not find it. Happiness is determined by happenings, and happenings fluctuate constantly; they are ever-changing and ever-shifting about us. But if we seek Jesus, we will find joy. He is the wellspring and the source of all joy. Rejoice in your circumstances? No. Rejoice in the Lord … in His goodness … in His grace … in His mercy … in His patience … in His faithfulness. We rejoice in what He has done for us on the cross and through His resurrection. That is the secret of rejoicing, of singing and making a melody in your heart to the Lord in all circumstances.

Do you have that joy today? Whatever your circumstances, seek the Lord and allow Him to give you His joy.

“In Thee is gladness, amid all sadness,
Jesus sunshine of my heart.”
Johann Lindemann

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

— 2 Peter 1:16

If you’ve been a Christian long enough, you’ve more than likely had, at one time or another, a conversation with a skeptic claiming that Christianity is based on myths. Unfortunately, a lot of anti-Christian voices have arisen in our culture, even among seminary professors and “Bible scholars.” Many of these people believe the “legend theory,” the idea that the “myths” surrounding Christ, His miracles, and His resurrection just gradually evolved over the decades and centuries.

This view, popular in the nineteenth century, largely collapsed in the twentieth century with the rise of modern archaeology. Even secular historians point out that the Church of Jesus Christ began in A.D. 33 in Jerusalem because the apostles preached a crucified and resurrected Christ. The apostles focused their teaching on this fact. And they had no time for myth making or legend spinning. As Peter said, “We were eyewitnesses.” John said, speaking of Jesus, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled . . . we declare to you” (1 John 1:1, 3). The apostles spoke of that which they had experienced.

What’s more, most of the apostles died deaths that testified to their absolute belief in what they proclaimed. They were crucified; they were stoned. And they endured all this for believing a legend which hadn’t even developed, which wouldn’t develop for another 100 or 150 years? That’s absurd.

As well, according to Josh McDowell, eighteen different first-century pagan writers present more than a hundred facts about Christ—His birth, teachings, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. These secular authors corroborate the disciples’ claims, the claims that have endured for centuries, the claims you and I make as Christians. Christianity is no legend that built up over the centuries. It’s the truth.

If people challenge you for believing in a so-called myth, you can rest assured that the Bible contains the reliable account of Christ’s life. No legend could ever come close to emulating such incredible truth.

“The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number
of people who say they have seen the Resurrection.”
C. S. Lewis

“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand . . . You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

— Deuteronomy 11:18-19

A woman once told me, “When I was a child, we didn’t have family devotions in our home, but I had a friend in the neighborhood who did. I often visited her and sat and watched as this family lifted their hearts together to God. My soul was touched. I vowed I would never marry a man who couldn’t pray and lead in family worship. God answered that prayer, and I have such a man.” What a blessing.

Do you worship with your family on a regular basis? Some families make such family time a part of their weekly schedules. Others don’t, not because they lack the desire, but because they don’t know what to do. So let me suggest ways you can incorporate worship time into the life of your family.

First of all, set aside a worship time when every family member, including your young children, can participate; some families choose to do this after a meal. I believe that the spiritual head of the family should lead the devotion. As you enter into this time, encourage attitudes of joy, love, and peace—including peace with each another. If any family members have unresolved conflicts with each other, encourage them to come to peaceful terms before this time of unified devotion before God.

Worship times can have a variety of formats, and I recommend that you vary your own format over time to keep things interesting. Each time you have a family devotion, you might want to choose a specific topic to address such as integrity, purity, or honesty. Whatever topic you choose, focus on meditating upon the Word of God. You can do this in a variety of ways such as reading from a Bible, a children’s Bible, or a hymnal. If possible, pray, sing, and memorize Bible verses, as well. I know of one family that keeps track of prayer requests and God’s answers to those requests. They feel blessed as they see God at work in their lives.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to institute a regular family worship time. Family worship can bring blessed peace into your home, binding all family members together in love and understanding. Ask your family today how you can bring worship into your home regularly.

“Family worship is a matter of conviction, not convenience.”

“And this is eternal life … Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”

— John 17:3

How fervently do you wish for our nation to know God? Do you desire it so much that you’re willing to pray, “Oh, God, give me America, or I die.” What tremendous things God could do in this country if we all prayed that prayer.

Five hundred years ago, Scotsman John Knox, one of the great Reformers, prayed, “Great God, give me Scotland, or I die.” Knox lived at a time of tremendous religious turmoil. People confused about Christianity persecuted those who tried to spread the truth. In fact, the great turning point in Knox’s life came when he watched his spiritual mentor, George Wishart, suffer a horrible death by being burned at the stake for preaching the Gospel. From this point in his life, Knox knew that God had called him to the ministry of Jesus Christ.

And he, too, suffered persecution. Not soon after delivering his first sermon, the French, who had come ashore as part of a religious war, took Knox captive. Knox suffered the fate of a galley slave, chained to the rowing bench of a French war vessel. After managing to secure a pardon, he fled from Scotland and went to Geneva where he translated the Scriptures from Hebrew to English. From Knox’s work (along with the help of others), we received the blessing of the Geneva Bible.

At this time, Mary, Queen of Scots had persecuted as heretics people all over Scotland. And yet John Knox had the desire to bring even her to Christ. People were astonished when Knox entered the queen’s castle and challenged her with the Gospel’s truth. Those who stood nearby could not believe that Knox had no fear of a woman who had the power and desire to send him to the stake. Yet even Mary, Queen of Scots came to fear Knox and his great intellect.

Knox’s anchor, God’s Word, had held strong through his long and stormy life. What a great example to each of us is John Knox’s faith and courage in Jesus Christ. Today pray that God would give us our country, and that more and more people would give their hearts and souls to Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord for courage to do your part in bringing salvation to this nation.

“Here lies a man that never feared the face of men.”
King Of Scotland (When Knox Died)

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes …”

— Revelation 21:4

Amid all the trouble we experience on an ongoing basis, with “Murphy’s Law” seeming to work overtime and deep sorrows occasionally gripping our lives, can you imagine the day when God will take us to Heaven and wipe every tear from our eyes? How we long for that day.

In Heaven, we’ll experience so many new things, things more wonderful than we could ever imagine. Yet we’ll no longer see many things we know quite well. We’ll have no need of sun or moon, for the glory and brightness of God and the Lamb will light everything. There will be no darkness, no night. And we’ll no longer have limited bodies. God will make us perfect—we won’t even need to sleep.

Churches and temples will no longer exist because we’ll always and forever be in God’s presence. We’ll no longer pray or meditate because we’ll talk to our Father face to face. And no false religion will exist to obfuscate the truth and deceive people.

No longer will we endure death or sorrow or sadness or pain. We’ll no longer experience separation—we’ll reunite with our loved ones who have gone before us, and we’ll never have to bid anyone a painful farewell again.

In Heaven, we’ll no longer sin. We won’t even think a sinful thought. We will finally be fully sanctified, perfect in our white robes, washed in the blood of the Lamb.

But the most glorious thing about Heaven is that Jesus is there. It is He who makes it perfect. Soon you will cast yourself in the Savior’s arms and thank Him for getting you home safely. All the pain of this world will fade away forever. How we long for that day.

“Then I shall bow in humble adoration. And there
proclaim, ‘My God, how great Thou art.’”
Carl Boberg

“… that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.”

— Genesis 39:12

Have you ever thought about what makes someone a hero? A hero is brave against all odds. A hero will fight for what’s right, even it if costs his or her reputation, health, wealth, power, social position, or even life.

Joseph was a hero. Even though he lived centuries before God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments, Joseph knew what God’s law required, and he lived by it. The evil practices of Egypt had not corrupted him. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, Joseph said, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” He called a spade a spade. And in the face of temptation, he fled. But Joseph was punished for his honesty, thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit. At this point in time, Joseph could have reasoned that if God had not abandoned him when He allowed Joseph to be sold as a slave, He had certainly abandoned him now. But Joseph heroically kept believing and trusting in God.

Have you ever thought of what the results might have been if Joseph had yielded to temptation? He wouldn’t have been cast into prison where he met the baker and cupbearer and interpreted their dreams. Pharaoh wouldn’t have summoned Joseph to interpret his dreams of cows and haystacks. Pharaoh wouldn’t have made Joseph the second-highest official in Egypt, commissioned to gather food in preparation for the famine. God would have had to fulfill His purposes in some other way.

Our obedience to God can have far-reaching consequences; in the same way, our disobedience to Him can have devastating effects. In Joseph’s case, we see that a young man’s fidelity, refusing to compromise his honor with a lustful woman, resulted in enormous good.

Do you face strong temptations today? Don’t yield to them. Instead, flee from them. God will bless you for remaining true to his Word.

“[When faced with temptation] it is better to
lose a good coat than a good conscience.”
Matthew Henry

… Unlike those high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices—first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.

— Hebrews 7:27

There were priests in the Old Testament, but now Christ, our great High Priest has come. He completed the work that they could only begin.

With a priest and an altar you have something else: you have a sacrifice. For hundreds of years, at God’s instruction, the ancient Hebrew priests offered sacrifices with many specific guidelines. There were daily sacrifices and specific annual offerings. They may have “forgiven” sins temporarily, but never permanently.

All of these sacrifices foreshadowed the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. What He did is the basis for all forgiveness. His blood was much more precious than that of bulls and goats.

Read Hebrews 9-11 and you will notice that one word appears over and over and over again. It is a word that I recommend you underline. It is “once” or “one.” By one sacrifice Christ has forever reconciled us to God. There was only one sacrifice, and it took place upon the Cross 2,000 years ago. On that finished sacrifice all of our hopes are founded.

Question to ponder:
What does it mean that our High Priest offered Himself up “once for all”?

… weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

— Psalm 30:5

Sorrow, sadness, and weeping are all part of this life. None of us are untouched by the troubles of the world. But these are temporary—whereas joy, for the Christian, is everlasting. 

One time at a speaking engagement in Indianapolis, a man came up to me and said, “I was down in Ft. Lauderdale on vacation, and I met a lady in your church who shared with me those good tidings of great joy.” She had told him of the Gospel and he had accepted Christ. He continued: “You certainly cannot know, you cannot imagine the indescribable joy I have known for the last year since I came to know Christ. I never would have believed it.”

It is never recorded once that Jesus ever laughed, and yet the night before He went to the agony of the Cross, He said, “I have spoken these to you, that My joy may remain in you” (John 15:11). He came from the source of all joy—from Heaven—and He came to bring that joy to us. He took all of our sorrows and our griefs upon Himself, and thus, though He never laughed that we know of, He did weep. And He wept, so that we might be glad.

Question to ponder:
What difference does it make that sadness is temporary?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

— Matthew 5:3

To be poor in spirit is to recognize that you are spiritually needy. It is to see that in ourselves we are poor and in need of a savior.

Christ came—not with pomp and circumstance, not with royal splendor, not with power, not with armies, but into a family with a great lineage: however, one that had fallen into poverty. He grew up in the home of a carpenter. He grew up in a city that was a byword: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 NKJV).

He grew up with no education, and yet He was the wisest person who ever lived. He grew up, astonishingly, with no background. He exited that town, which was nothing, walked up on a hill, and there delivered the greatest discourse on human ethics the world has ever heard—the Sermon on the Mount. It has never been equaled and certainly never excelled.

The humble carpenter spread His blessings all over the world and taught us that humility is a virtue.

Question to ponder:
What is the relationship between having spiritual riches and being poor in spirit?

They feared greatly and said to one another, “What kind of Man is He, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

— Mark 4:41

We see something of the Deity of Christ and His uniqueness in the fact that He never bothered to trouble Himself to explain His frequently ambiguous conduct. For example, Jesus was asleep in the back of a boat in the midst of a great storm. Waves were breaking over the sides of the boat and the disciples were paralyzed with fear. They cried, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38).

“Well, I’m sorry fellows. If you had only awakened me earlier, I would have tried to help, but you see, it’s been such a long day and I was so tired. I just had to get some rest.”

No. He didn’t say anything like that. He simply said, “Peace, be still.” The waves ceased and the wind stopped. That is not the way any other man lives his life.

Jesus can calm the storms of our lives. The wind and the waves still obey His voice. He still calms storms.

Question to ponder:
What storm are you possibly experiencing in your life that you need to take to Jesus to calm?