Enjoying Joy

January 7 (Ecclesiastes 2:26)

For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy….  (ESV)

Everyone experiences sadness, and even Jesus wept, but those who follow Christ do not need to stay there.  In fact, to disregard the gift of joy is, well…consider the parable of the talents that Jesus told in Matthew 25.  Jesus made it clear that God expects His people to use the gifts He has given them.  We usually talk about this in the context of making full use of talents and abilities in the service of others, but this applies to all gifts, including the gift of joy.

One of the easiest things to do is complain.  How often do you get drawn into gripe sessions at work?  How often do you huff and puff about mundane responsibilities around the house?  How often is your casual conversation filled with criticism about this, that, and the other thing?  There is indeed much in the world that is wrong, and acknowledging it is often a first step to doing something about it.  Yet going about your daily life mired in the complaints of the world?  Not only does that make for a less than attractive witness to the Christian life, but it also cheats you of the pleasure of one of God’s gifts to you.

I whistle.  I love to whistle.  In fact, I can frequently be heard at work whistling a song, and when I am in the car or at home, well then it is time for full-throated singing!  How do you unwrap God’s gift of joy?  How do you play with it?  Enjoying joy is one of the most delightful things we can do, and since joy is a gift from God, we are actually called to make use of it.

Lord, thank You for the joy You have put in my heart!  I will sail it like a kite full of praises to You and wield it like a sword against the darkness that seeks to overwhelm me.  In those moments when I cannot find joy, uncover it for me so that it may blaze forth in me and to those I meet.  In the name of Jesus, I pray.  Amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

Why Christmas Is A Day Of Joy

December 24 (Psalm 30:5)

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.  (ESV)

Tomorrow is Christmas Day.  Popular songs, to say nothing of experience, tell us that children will find it hard to sleep as they anticipate the gifts and pleasures to come.  Guess what?  That should be you, too.  Tomorrow may include travel and family and cooking.  It may involve gifts and laughter and lights.  Yet tomorrow is so much more than all that, and the merest thought of it should keep you awake with excited anticipation, for you see, joy comes with the morning.

Tomorrow is the day when the world acknowledges the birth of God in the flesh.  To be sure, many of the world’s celebrations are misguided, and many who celebrate do not know God as anything other than a word of profanity to be invoked when they want to condemn something.  Yet celebrations will take place, and whether those who celebrate fully understand it or not, it is because of unspeakable joy.

We humans wrecked everything in the Garden of Eden and have continued to make a mess of things ever since, hence the weeping.  God looked into that mess with the eyes of love and sent us His Son to comfort us, to guide and support us, and to redeem us with His blood.  So get excited!  But not with visions of sugarplums dancing in your head, but with the image of Jesus Christ, born to die so that YOU could truly live.

What joy, Lord, it truly is to think about the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus!  In my celebration of Christmas with family and friends, may that joy, the joy that comes with a life redeemed by Him, radiate from all that I do.  Thank You, Father, for the greatest gift of all!  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

The Joy of Forgiveness

October 29 (Romans 4:7-8)

“Oh, what joy for those

     whose disobedience is forgiven,

     whose sins are put out of sight.

Yes, what joy for those

     whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”  (NLT)

Do you get that you are supposed to die?  Do you get it that all of the nice things you do for people do not amount to squat?  Friends, in the eyes of God, you and I deserve to die, and we don’t even have the right to be offended by that.  God does.  He created us to be the crowning glory of all His creations, but WE turned on HIM.  If anyone has a right to be angry at the state of human affairs, it is God.  That realization should put us in a pretty humble position.

But oh, what joy for those whose disobedience has been forgiven!  What joy for those whose sins have been put out of sight!  Do you also realize that the blood of Jesus has washed you so thoroughly of your sins and disobedience that God Himself does not see them anymore?  He looks at you and sees the glorious creature He intended.

King David originally wrote those words in Psalm 32:1-2, but Paul quoted them in his letter to the Romans.  David had some sense of God’s forgiveness, but after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we have a greater understanding of the work of God’s grace.  Friends, take some time to let that sink in.  You deserve to die and be eternally separated from God, but that will not happen thanks to the work of Jesus Christ.

Lord, what a gracious and amazing gift You have given us!  Thank You for the blood of Jesus and what it brings, for the words of Scripture and Your servants that have taught me of Your forgiveness, and for the grace that has allowed me to accept it so that the Holy Spirit might dwell within me.  All praise and glory be to You, my Lord and my God!  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

Joy In Hardship

May 28 (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

     nor fruit be on the vines,the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,the flock be cut off from the fold

     and there be no herd in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (ESV)

It does not always work out the way we want.  Sickness comes.  Death takes a loved one.  Accidents happen.  Loss occurs.  Lies, betrayal, and pride take their toll on us, even when we have done what is right.  The Christian faith, more than any other program of thought or philosophy, is a realistic way to handle the inevitable setbacks and hardships of life.

Christians rejoice in the Lord and take their joy in the God of their salvation.  They do not ignore suffering or pretend that it is less painful than it is, but in times of sickness, we find joy in the Lord.  In death we rejoice in Him.  In every moment or extended seasons of distress, we praise Him and find our life and hope in Him.

How is that possible?  Why should we respond to difficulties in this way and not in the countless ways the world offers?  It is simple.  This is what Jesus did.  He faced execution for what He had not done, and yet He kept His gaze focused on His Father.  And He is the One Who came back from the dead and offers His power to all Who accept Him.  When it comes to tragedies of my life or even the daily discomforts, I am going to do what He did.

Lord, You are the source of my joy.  In You I live and move and have my being.  I can find life nowhere else, so help me to stop seeking it there.  May I be valiant in hardship because of You, the source of my salvation.  Amen.

Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins

The Path To Joy

January 17 (Psalm 16:11)

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand arepleasures forevermore.

At a recent gathering of Christian leaders, we shared our wishes for the coming year, both for ourselves and for our church.  It was beautiful to see the hearts of so many people focused on Jesus and His mission for us in the world.  Yet when it came to what we wished for ourselves, more than just a few talked about the need for margin and the desire to walk more closely and intentionally with our Lord.

The interconnectedness of modern life, our ability to do so many different things in any given day, responsibilities and enticements…they wear a person down.  Complexity seems both the order and the burden of the day.  Now take a look at the words from this psalm.  God has made quite clear to each of us the path of life.  In His presence there is fullness of joy.  At His right hand is true pleasure.  That’s it.  There really is nothing more to it than that.

With our backs turned to Him, walking away from Eden, we have made a twisted confusion of life.  When we turn back to Him, we see Jesus, arms wide, welcoming us into the joy of God.  As it always is with God, the choice is simple, and the choice is ours.  In which direction will you walk?

Lord, I honestly do not know why I make some of the choices I do.  Help me to tune out the call of the world and the lies of the enemy and hear only the sweetness of Your voice.  I want to dwell in the joy of Your presence, not only for myself, but so that the light of my life may draw others to You.  In the name of Jesus, my savior and the true source of all life, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

Where Can I Find True Joy?

January 10 (Psalm 4:6-7)

There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?  Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”  You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  (ESV)

It usually takes no more than the first new article of the day to have us crying out to God for something good.  We could debate whether the world is truly getting worse or we are simply more aware of the problems thanks to modern communication, but either way, it is a rare moment when we do not feel crushed and overwhelmed by our circumstances.

Of course, most of us have a lot of options for feeling better.  We have hobbies we enjoy, books to read, apps to play, friends to see, movies to watch, music to listen to, and sports to play.  Distraction from the pain and distress of life is a click away, and if the Internet is down or a friend is not home, there is always something else we can try.  And so life becomes an endless seeking after that something else, but the unending search itself becomes a burden.  Perhaps it is then that we reach for something stronger, something darker.

The simple fact is that God has already placed more joy in our hearts than we can fully savor in this world.  He lives within us and speaks to us, gently and sweetly, if only we would stop grasping for the clashing brass gongs of distraction and listen.  Do you think you can set all that other…stuff…aside for a few moments and let God reveal the joy He has given you?

Father, my search to find things to ease the pain of life is actually a display of ingratitude.  Rather than be content with what You have given and find joy in Your presence, I run after mere things and experiences.  Forgive me for treating the gift of Your joy with such contempt and restore to me my sense of satisfaction in You.  In the name of Jesus, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

Joy And Strength For 2016

January 3 (Nehemiah 8:10)

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”   (ESV)

Those who know me well know that I am a huge fan of the metal band Stryper.  In the title track to their platinum-selling album To Hell With The Devil, lead singer Michael Sweet sings, “Well speak of the devil, he’s no friend of mine.  To turn from him is what we have in mind.  Just a liar and a thief, the word tells us so.  We’d like to let him know where he can go.”  This is where I am at the start of this year.

I read the news and begin to lose my joy.  I see and hear the problems in my profession and begin to lose my joy.  I come home tired from just another day of life and begin to lose my joy.  Enough of that!  When we experience a loss of joy, it is because our enemy is playing on our fears, playing on our exhaustion, and we are letting it happen.  There is a proper place for him, and it is not in my life.

Scripture is clear.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  Read that again.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  I want to start this year strong.  I want to reclaim the joy that is mine as a child of God.  I want this so much that I compiled for my family a list of Scriptures dealing with joy, and these will likely make their way into many of the devotions this year.  So what do you think?  Grim and weak or joyful and strong?  The choice is yours.

Lord Jesus, I turn my eyes to You, looking fully into Your wonderful face.  May the light of Your glory and grace fill me with joy and equip me to answer Your call on my life with strength.  Amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

June 7 (Ecclesiastes 2:26)

For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting….  (ESV)

‘Tis the season of garage sales.  Everywhere you look, people are clearing out their clutter.  Our family is no different, and it goes something like this.  We take items from one room and put them in another to sort them…keep, sell, throw away.  Then we take the items to the driveway, arrange them, and label them with prices.  Stuff that does not sell we may keep if a friend is having a garage sale soon.  When all is said and done, unsold items go to Goodwill.

I hate it.  I hate how much of my life is spent shuttling items from place A to place B.  Whether it is for a garage sale or just general cleaning up, I often feel shackled by my possessions, overwhelmed with my stuff.  How many people in the modern world feel the same way?

Put your lifestyle against this verse from Ecclesiastes.  Is gathering and collecting stuff really what God wants for us?  If we focused on obtaining wisdom, knowledge, and joy, would we ever sell them on the cheap or wonder why we had them in the first place?

Father, You freely give me all that is truly worth having, yet I labor and sweat for things that choke my life.  Help me to seek only the highest good in You.  Save me from my own worst tendencies and anything that would hinder me from living the genuinely abundant life in Jesus.  In His name I pray, amen.

Copyright © 2015 by Steven R. Perkins