Celebrate

by Charity Pence

This Week’s Verse: Romans 15:13 “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.”

“There’s a party going on right here, a celebration to last throughout the years. So bring your good times and your laughter too, we’re gonna celebrate your party with you.

Cel-e-brate good times, come on!”

You know that song, right? It’s often played at weddings and birthday parties. Every time I hear it, I just want to…celebrate. It’s such a catchy tune.

Amidst today’s chaos, finding something to celebrate can be difficult. But as Christians, we should celebrate every day. We have nothing to fear. Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” (KJV) We never have to face anything alone. “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12 (KJV) Isn’t that worth celebrating? How about this: we have eternal salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:21 assures us, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (KJV) That alone should make us want to dance.

Even on our worst days, we have something to celebrate. We have reason to be joyful. Jesus told the disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11 (NKJ)

So come on ~ let’s celebrate!

Dear Heavenly Father, please fill us with Your joy. Remind us even when our lives seem to be spiraling out of control, we have reason to be glad; our security comes from Jesus, not the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Application: This week, don’t let Satan steal your joy. You have nothing to fear; you are a child of God!

Power Verses:
1 Chronicles 16:31 “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’” (NKJ)
Psalm 47:1 “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!” (NKJ)
Isaiah 12:2 “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (NIV)

Praise is a Disinfunktant

(Today's devotion is a re-run of an early devotion entitled "Funk-Be-Gone". I thought it's message would resonate with a lot of us right now.)

by Kathy Lay

Verse of the Week: Isaiah 61:3,"...the garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness..."

Devotion:
I had a conversation with a dear friend that went something like this:
Me: And how are you today, Love?
Her: Oh I don’t know. I just feel like I’m in a funk. I can’t get excited about anything and I just feel apathetic.
Me: I’ve been going through a little something like that too. It’s like I’m just going through the motions…

I had another conversation with another dear friend that went something like this:
Me: How’s it going, Babe?
Her: Oh, I just feel funky lately, kind of numb, but like the littlest thing could set me off into tears.
Me: That’s strange. It seems there are several of us going through the same funk.

A third conversation that was strikingly similar confirmed it—does that qualify as an epidemic? Present in each of these conversations was the word “funk.” Definitions of this term (yes, I really looked) include “a depressed state of mind,” “to shrink back from undertaking or facing something,” and a sense of “dread.”

Actually, I could check off each of those definitions as a symptom I’m experiencing, and it sounds like a lot of others could too. Girls, we’re being robbed! Our joy has been stolen! How can we get it back?

Praise the Lord that he thinks of everything, even restoring our joy--even when we settle into our funk so deeply that we’re not sure we can or even want to come out. His remedy is simple. Not necessarily easy, mind you, but simple: praise him.

Isaiah 61:3 describes God’s promise “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,” and “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;” (NKJV). We just have to choose to be obedient and put it on.David wrote in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The man after God’s own heart didn’t only praise when things were rosy, he continually praised. Even in a funk.

We know God doesn’t need us to put on the garment of praise for His sake, so it must be for our own good. Become undignified before your Lord (2 Samuel 6:22) and let him fill you with his joy. Let your praise be your "disinfunktant."

Father God, we lay our funk at your feet. We want to be effective for you and we need your power to sustain us in that. Accept our praise as a fragrant offering that pleases you and unleashes your oil of joy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Application: Be alone with God and put on your garment of praise. Pick out a praise song you love and belt it out at the top of your lungs.

Power Verses:
Hebrews 1:9,"You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." (NIV)
Psalm 9:2,"I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." (NLT)

Upside Down Kingdom: Trials

by Missy Milbourn

This Week's Verse: James 1:2, "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." (NIV)

Devotion:
So many times as I read the Bible, which explains and describes and teaches the things of the Kingdom of God, I think what an upside down kingdom. God looks at things so differently than the way the world teaches us to view things.

The longer I’m a Christian, the more I realize how important it is that we go through the process of the “renewing of the mind”. We need to let go of how the world looks at things, and grab hold of how the Lord looks at things. Take this week’s scripture for example:

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”

WHAT!?! Are you out of your mind?!?!

I don’t know about you, but when troubles come my way, I am anything but joyful about it. Seriously.

Depending on what trouble comes my way, my response to it--instead of being joyful--typically falls under one of these categories:

Fearful

Angered

or

Offended

Let’s pick one of those and examine it a bit. Let’s say that I get angry easily, and I find that various situations keep happening that cause me to become angry. As a result, I think, why does trouble continually come into my life causing me to be upset?!

A wise Christian friend once told me that God, in his mercy, often brings us to the same mountain because He wants us to learn how to get over that mountain.

I believe that’s a huge part of what James 1 is teaching. Let’s looks at it in The Message: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way" (James 1:2-4).

If anger is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us deal with that, because we’ll be a lot happier if we’re not honked off all the time.

If being offended is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us with that, because we’ll be a lot happier if our feelings aren’t hurt all the time.

If fear is our issue, I can assure you that God wants to help us with that because we’ll have a happier life if we learn to trust God instead of living in a state of worry all the time.

Oftentimes when we find ourselves mad or offended or fearful, our first inclination is to flee the situation. But God is saying “don’t”. Don’t leave prematurely, but let this trial do its work in you so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

John Bevere, in his book The Bait of Satan, speaks of how Christians often leave their church over an offense. And often, when they do that, they run into the same problem at their next church. Because, guess what, God wants to work something out in that person, and as long as we’re in relationship with Him, He’s going to keep bringing the issue up. He wants to help us through it, because we belong to Him, and He’s molding us into His image for our benefit, and for the benefit of His Kingdom. He is guiding us into full maturity.

Let’s not run from what He has for us. But instead, let’s ask Him what it is He wants us to learn from the trial. Knowing that we can trust Him to make us mature, not deficient in any way…and that, my friend, is reason for joy.

Father, it is so hard when trouble comes our way. Typically our reaction is a “not so good” emotional one. But Lord, help us to trust you when trouble comes our way. Help us to know You more. To lean on You more. To learn from You, allowing the trial to grow us up in whatever manner you see fit.

Application:
Think about how you respond when troubles come your way. Or maybe you are in the midst of a trial right now. Take a moment to think about what God may want to teach you through that particular trial.

Power Verses:
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:10, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (NIV)

By Your Side

by Stephanie Neibarger

This Week’s Verse: Revelation 3:7-8, “When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it. Listen to what I say. I know everything you have done. And I have placed before you an open door that no one can close. You were not very strong, but you obeyed my message and did not deny that you are my followers.”(CEV)

Devotion:
During the past few weeks I’ve encountered various circumstances that have left me to question some of the decisions I have made in my life (mostly job related). Did I hear God correctly? Is this the path He wants me to take? Then I remembered He did not promise us that the path would always be easy, but He did promise that He would be there to help us through it: “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” (Isaiah 43:2, NLT)

Recently I was watching the movie Facing the Giants. If you haven’t seen the movie it is about a football coach who implements Christian values in his team instead of winning and losing. In the beginning of the movie he faces criticism from others because he's not winning games. Due to the criticism, he questions if this was the path God wants for him. Then a friend walks into the coach’s office and reads Rev. 3:7-8 to him (this week’s verse, above).

Hmm, just what I needed to hear! I was letting others’ criticism cause me to question the door God had opened for me. This criticism was reflective in my attitude as well. I was letting other people’s action towards me determine my attitude. I had let their negativity creep into my own life. I have, in essence, let them determine my level of happiness. Jesus tells us in John 16:22, “Therefore, you too have grief; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

The movie also mentioned that the phrase “Do not be afraid” was in the Bible 365 times. Hmm, that’s one for each day of the year. Reassurance to face each day without fear. We can face each day with confidence knowing that God is right there along side us to help us through the day (Deut 31:8 – below).

Father thank you for always being with us through every situation in our life. Please help us to focus on you instead of our circumstances in times of trouble. Help us cling to Your promises so our attitude would reflect more of You.

Application:
If things don't always go the way you would like, do you get upset? If we depend on other people or cirucmstances to keep us happy, there will always be something to steal our joy. Don't let other people or circumstances determine your happiness; God's your true source of joy.

Power Verses:
Psalm 94:13, “That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.”(AMP)
John 16:22, “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”(NASB)
Hebrews 10:35-36, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”(NIV)
Deut. 31:8, “The Lord Himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you. So don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope.”(NIV)

Ya-Hoo in the To-Do

by Kathy Lay

This Week's Verse: 1 Cor. 10:31, "Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God." (NLT)

Devotion:
Rolling out of bed this morning, did every task of the day infiltrate your thoughts? Did your to-do list overwhelm you? Or did it cross your mind what a drag it can be just keeping up with the daily grind? It's so easy to feel caught in a rut since the details of life can seem menial and sometimes meaningless.

But God desires joy for you even in those ruts. In fact, you can bring Him glory there. As today's verse indicates, what you do sometimes matters much less to God than how you do it.

Anyone can wipe down the kitchen for the third time in one day, but not everyone does it while rockin' a praise song.

Anyone can re-do a project at work because the boss gave the wrong instructions the first time, but not everyone does it without grumbling.

Anyone can go elbow deep in the toilet to work on a rust stain, but many aren't willing to do it at all, much less happily.

As undignified or “un-fun” as some tasks seem, they can bring glory to God if you approach them with a servant's heart. Remember Jesus illustrating this to the disciples by washing their filthy feet? And yet He was happy to do it.

Now you—purposefully chosen you—are being used to bless others who might not even show appreciation. But dear one, rest assured, there's One beaming down at you, pleased at your willingness to do all things for His glory. Can you feel His pleasure?

Dear Lord, come with me as I tackle my to-do list today. Help me to see each task –even eating and drinking—as an opportunity to glorify You by being content and self-controlled. How I want to feel Your pleasure as I submit all I do to Your glory.

Application:
What’s on your to-do list that bores you to tears? What on it do you dread? Write down ways you could bring glory to God in doing those tasks, then put them into practice.

Power Verses:
1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”(NIV)
Ecclesiastes 5:20, “He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”(NIV)