Tag: joy

August 13, 2026

August 13th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 3

Highlight Verse:

““Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is Jesus speaking through John.

I love how John starts each of the letters to the seven churches with a different description of Jesus.

And here, at the end of those letters, Jesus comes to those who will open the door and listen to him and invites them to eat as friends.

I’ve had the privilege of eating with some famous people – authors and preachers whom I admire.

I counted it a privilege to engage in conversation in hopes of gaining some wisdom from them.

I respected them but I was never in awe of them, nor would I consider most of them friends. Most of them will never remember my name.

But to sit down and eat with Jesus!!

I’m glad that heaven is for eternity because it’s going to take a while to get used to that.

But then I’ve been getting to know Jesus for exactly 49 years now (to the day).

I’ve gotten to know Him pretty well, though I know there is plenty more I’ll learn in heaven.

And He knows me better than I know myself.

So, sharing meals with Jesus will be sweet!

What is the first thing you want to ask Jesus when you get to sit down together?
Have you asked Him that already? Did you hear His voice in reply? How?
August 5, 2026

August 5th, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Chronicles 25-27

Highlight Verse:

“Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?” The man of God replied, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this!””
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭25‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever made a bad investment?

Amaziah did when he hired the wrong soldiers.

It’s a terrible feeling when you have to write-off a bunch of money with no return on the investment. That’s especially true when you can’t really afford it.

Sometimes we put a bunch of money toward something only to realize that thing was not honoring to God.

It could be a hobby or skill that distracts us from following after God.

Or buying something that robs your time with God or your family.

I’m sure you could come up with your own list.

I still remember my social psychology professor telling us about the time he bought a canoe. For a while after that purchase, he spent as much time as he could canoeing just so he could justify the expense in his mind.

If we have invested in something, we have a psychological tendency to want to get the most out of our investments. For that reason, we will spend more time and money to get the most out of it.

But if that investment is in something that does not honor God, we would be wise to cut our losses and move on.

If today’s passage is true (and it is), God will honor our decisions with blessings greater than what we gave up.

I’m not saying he will dump money in our laps (though sometimes He does).

But the blessings of God bring great joy both now and eternally.

Is there something you’ve put a lot of money and/or time into that is distracting you from God? What would it take to walk away from that?
Have you ever had God greatly bless you for taking a financial hit to follow Him more closely?
July 20, 2026

July 20th, 2026

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 5

Highlight Verse:

“The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭5‬:‭41‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Joy flourishes regardless of how crazy your situation may be.

What a ride Peter and the apostles must had been going through.

Through their preaching, people were healed, many found forgiveness, and Jerusalem was changing.

Then they were arrested again and thrown in jail.

But an angel set them free.

But Peter and the apostles with him were arrested again.

This time they ended up flogged for preaching about Jesus.

And that is when the went home rejoicing.

How deep of a faith and radical of a joy did that take?

The joy not only overcame the pain, but it thrived because of it.

Now, I think they would have been quite joyful without the pain.

But the pain confirmed the strength of their faith.

I would like to think that they received healing for their injuries too, though I can only guess that happened.

Have you ever had a situation where you were joyful despite pain?
What about because of your pain?
July 5, 2026

July 5th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 11-12

Highlight Verse:

“Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

That’s good advice.

Our four children are all young adults now.

I want them to enjoy life and get the most out of it while they can.

What this verse points out is that you can enjoy life while staying true to God.

Freedom is not the ability to engage in whatever sinful behavior catches your attention.

Quite the opposite is true. Sin will throw chains of bondage to drag people as far from God as possible.

God is the Creator and source of life.

The greatest experiences of this life are found in His presence.

I’m not young anymore. But I’m not so old that I can’t enjoy life.

I still love exploring our country.

I enjoy the beauty of the mountains and experiencing the sunset over the ocean.

I still love hiking, though I move more slowly over shorter distances.

I love spending time with family and friends.

I enjoy food (last night’s smoked tri-tip was delicious) though I have to use more moderation than before.

And I love entering God’s presence in worship.

So, whether you are young or old, or somewhere in between, enjoy life to its fullest knowing that

enjoyment was made possible by God and is made greater in His presence following His principles

What brings you the most joy in this life?
If you are older, what suggestions do you have for younger people?
June 14, 2026

June 14th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 5-6

Highlight Verse:

“And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ahh, a good prosperity theology verse.

If you know me, you know that I cannot stand prosperity theology.

If you are not familiar with it, prosperity theology teaches that if you are a faithful believer, giving faithfully, and claiming God’s promises in faith, you will be blessed with wealth, health, and basically anything you want.

That is not what the Gospel is about.

Yes, God blesses faithful giving and hard work.

One of the things this verse tells me is that all blessings ultimately come from God.

We should welcome those blessings and enjoy them.

But those blessings should not be the motivation for our faithfulness.

Nor is our faithfulness always rewarded with physical blessings.

I have enjoyed my career despite looking forward to retirement. It has brought me many friendships and great satisfaction in knowing my work has made a difference in this world.

I also enjoy the work of writing, and I hope it may bring some financial blessings in retirement.

If I didn’t enjoy writing, you wouldn’t be reading this.

Right now, I am enjoying vacation and the chance to explore some of God’s beautiful creation with my family (don’t worry, we have someone taking care of the house and the dogs).

I consider this time to be a great blessing from God.

How has God blessed you through your work or career?
What future blessings do you look forward to?
June 7, 2026

June 7th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Ecclesiastes 3-4

Highlight Verses:

“So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Some consider Ecclesiastes to be rather hedonistic, emphasizing pleasure over eternity.

I don’t know about you, but

I don’t see anywhere in this book where it says to go out and sin because there are no consequences.

I also don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it tells us to have a miserable life.

Today’s highlight verses have nothing to do with sinning. Instead, they tell us to be happy and enjoy the gifts God has given.

These gifts include:

Food.
Employment to be able to afford the food.
Water and other beverages to drink.
And the very life that makes enjoyment possible.

The world around us has pushed the lie that you have to have sin to enjoy life.

Sin is like a greedy lender that lets you buy something you want right now but takes away the opportunity to buy stuff later because of the high cost of interest.

Sin may offer temporary pleasure now, but it steals pleasure and joy later.

Life lived in joyous relationship with God brings daily joy and pleasure in everything you do.

What brings you the most enjoyment in this life (remember to keep this family friendly)?
Have you ever had a time when your joy was robbed by the consequences of sin?
Did you get that joy back? How?
May 14, 2026

May 14th, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – 1 Peter 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is a “Yay! Aah” verse if I ever read one.

“Truly glad,” “wonderful joy” right before “endure many trials.”

It makes me want to ask if I can get the joy without the trials.

I already know that answer.

No!

Peter isn’t just telling us to “don’t worry, be happy.”

He’s letting us know that our joy can be greater when our trials are deeper.

I’d rather have skipped some of the hungry days in my life, but they give me an appreciation for God’s provision everyday.

I’d rather have skipped those five months of unemployment way back when. But that time makes me thankful for the job God has provided.

I’d rather have skipped illnesses, but they have allowed me to experience healing, both supernatural and through the natural healing processes of the human body that God designed.

Deep valleys make for high mountaintops.

I’m not saying we should be bipolar, nor should we wallow in the valleys.

But sometimes the best mountain views are from the valleys.

If you are in a valley of trial right now, can you see the mountain top ahead?
What would you ask God for to help you in the climb out of that valley?
May 8, 2026

May 8th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Hosea 7-8

Highlight Verse:

““The people of Israel mingle with godless foreigners, making themselves as worthless as a half-baked cake!”
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There was a movie theater with in-theater dining near us. One of my favorite selections there was their “half-baked cookies.” They were gooey and delicious.

That’s not what Hosea is talking about here.

Half-baked cake doesn’t sound nearly as good as those cookies.

I dare say it wasn’t something Israel should have been striving for.

The people of Israel were well instructed in the Law of Moses.

They even went through most of the religious motions in keeping with their culture.

But that didn’t keep them from indulging in the carnal practices of the peoples around them.

They dove so deep into the cesspool of sin that any remnant of love for God was left behind.

All they had was an empty shell of religion.

If you’ve known me for longer than a couple weeks, you know that I am far from legalistic, but I am passionate.

I love God enough to trust Him to lead me in the right way.

I know I’m far from perfect, but I strive to live a better life each day.

For me, among other things, that means trying to avoid media that will take me down a dark path.

For you it might mean something different.

For everyone, we need to avoid that which can drag us away from trusting God.

It’s not a legalistic thing; it is a heart for God thing.

What is it that you need to avoid to keep your heart right toward Jesus?
What are you doing to avoid it?
May 3, 2026

May 3rd, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 26-27

Highlight Verse:

“A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t like fasting.

But there are many benefits, both physical and spiritual.

One benefit we don’t usually think about is that the first meal after fasting usually tastes much better than normal.

In a spiritual level, when someone first finds the joy of salvation, that joy is through the roof.

We often speak of it as “first love.”

We want to live on that high throughout our spiritual lives.

Next year will mark 50 years of following Jesus.

I can tell you that my faith has had its ups and downs throughout those years.

I can also tell you that the ups were the result of intentional hunger.

Unlike fasting, the more you feed on the Word of God, the more hunger you get.

Let me be clearer.

Studying the Bible for historical, philosophical, or literary purposes might not spark that hunger (though I’ve seen that happen).

Diving into the Bible to extract the amazing attributes and gifts of God and put them into practice will instill a hunger that makes every part of God’s Word invaluable to our lives.

If you don’t believe me, try it.

Don’t just read these devotionals but read through the entire reading. Then check other commentaries. Find out how each part of God’s Word applies to your life and then apply it.

Then look and see the difference that makes in your life and in your desire to dive even deeper.

If you see positive change, start your own Bible study and spread the Word to others.

How deep do you dive into the Bible each day?
Has your hunger for God’s Word increased as you dive deeper?
Why or why not?
April 22, 2026

April 22nd, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Chronicles 10-12

Highlight Verse:

“The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jebus was an ideally defensible city. It had high walls around it and difficult terrain leading to it on 3 sides.

Even with Mount Moriah rising above the city, attackers from that direction would be exposed and driven away from the wall.

On top of that, the city had a source of water that would help them survive a siege.

The Jebusites had good reason to be confident in their safety.

But that very confidence caused them to overlook the fatal flaw in their defenses.

Their source of water, the Gihon Spring, allowed an advance party to sneak in and break through the defenses at the gate from the inside.

It is so easy to become overconfident as a believer.

We trust in our accomplishments and successes, even moral successes. That overconfidence leads us to let down our guard, allowing the enemy to infiltrate through areas we thought were good.

I’ve seen it in several pastors and ministry leaders.

They built walls of self-righteousness that hid the cracks that temptation and sin crept into.

By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late and their ministries came tumbling down.

A few, through humility and accountability, have been restored.

Most had their reputations crushed along with much of the positive results of their ministry.

No matter how successful or unfailingly moral we are, we would be wise to stay humble, realizing that we need to keep our guard up even when we are doing well.

Have you ever been blindsided by sin creeping in your life where you didn’t expect it?
How did you get through that situation?

Tag: joy

And here, at the end of those letters, Jesus comes to those who will open the door and listen to him and invites them to eat as friends.

I’m glad that heaven is for eternity because it’s going to take a while to get used to that.

And He knows me better than I know myself.

So, sharing meals with Jesus will be sweet!

Have you ever made a bad investment?

But if that investment is in something that does not honor God, we would be wise to cut our losses and move on.

But the blessings of God bring great joy both now and eternally.

What a ride Peter and the apostles must had been going through.

How deep of a faith and radical of a joy did that take?

But the pain confirmed the strength of their faith.

What this verse points out is that you can enjoy life while staying true to God.

The greatest experiences of this life are found in His presence.

enjoyment was made possible by God and is made greater in His presence following His principles

One of the things this verse tells me is that all blessings ultimately come from God.

But those blessings should not be the motivation for our faithfulness.

I consider this time to be a great blessing from God.

I don’t see anywhere in this book where it says to go out and sin because there are no consequences.

The world around us has pushed the lie that you have to have sin to enjoy life.

Life lived in joyous relationship with God brings daily joy and pleasure in everything you do.

It makes me want to ask if I can get the joy without the trials.

No!

But sometimes the best mountain views are from the valleys.

Half-baked cake doesn’t sound nearly as good as those cookies.

All they had was an empty shell of religion.

For me, among other things, that means trying to avoid media that will take me down a dark path.

It’s not a legalistic thing; it is a heart for God thing.

I don’t like fasting.

Unlike fasting, the more you feed on the Word of God, the more hunger you get.

If you don’t believe me, try it.

But that very confidence caused them to overlook the fatal flaw in their defenses.

It is so easy to become overconfident as a believer.

No matter how successful or unfailingly moral we are, we would be wise to stay humble, realizing that we need to keep our guard up even when we are doing well.