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God Puts Joy Into Our Hearts
Andrea Lende • February 22, 2021
I Thessalonians 1:6 and 8
God Puts Joy into Our Hearts
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/God-Puts-Joy-into-Our-Hearts-eqp55i
Thessalonians 1:6 and 8
“And you [set yourselves to] become imitators of us and of the Lord Himself, for you welcomed our message [in spite of] much persecution, with joy [inspired] by the Holy Spirit;”
“…everywhere the report has gone forth of your faith in God [of your leaning of your whole personality on Him in complete trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].”
Joy.
A gift given to us by the Holy Spirit.
As much as we tend to be joy seekers in this current generation, due to our current circumstances there are many without joy.
It is sobering to think about.
So many people are starving for joy.
Starving for community.
Starving for what used to be.
A year later, and there is only the promise of future joy according to the circumstances surrounding us.
However, Paul tells us something different in our passage today.
There was tremendous persecution against the Christians when Paul wrote this letter.
And yet amidst the persecution more and more people were becoming believers.
Even amidst the possibility of imprisonment and death, the new Christians found joy.
“Joy [inspired] by the Holy Spirit”.
The Holy Spirit can grant us joy inside of the difficult situations we find ourselves in today.
Our circumstances may not change, but our hearts will change through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Thessalonians also had faith.
The word faith used in this passage is defined by the Amplified Bible as, “leaning of your whole personality on Him in complete trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness”.
First, they trusted in the Lord’s power.
We must trust that the Lord is still in control of our lives and of this world.
As soon as I find myself complaining about something going on in the world, I am reminded He is in control.
He holds all the power.
Secondly, God is Wisdom.
And His wisdom never fails.
I hold onto that truth.
We can rely on Him today and we can rely on Him for all our tomorrow’s.
Lastly, God is good.
God is good all the time.
He did not cause the chaos and the messiness in our lives, but He will help us through it.
He will strengthen us to move through all the difficulties of our lives as He is beside us.
Today I ask the Holy Spirit to put joy in my heart and the kind of unshakeable faith that will permeate every part of my soul and being.
May you find the Holy Spirit will grant you joy and an increase in faith, so you are able to overcome all the difficulties you face with His peace.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me that You are a God of joy. Your Holy Spirit fills my spirit with joy as I ask for it. Even during these difficult times and the trials we face, Your Spirit is One of joy and peace. Thank You for infilling my spirit with Yours. I pray You increase my faith, Lord. Help me see You work, Father. Help me see every miracle You do so I can praise You for all the ways You care for me. Thank You for Your perfect watch over me, Lord. Thank You for Your provision and protection. You make a way where there seems to be no way – every time. Thank You, Father, for continually showing me Your strength, Your power, and Your wisdom. As Your Spirit fills mine to overflowing, help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM, and I will pour my Spirit of joy, peace, and mercy into your spirit My child.
Response: Undeserving of such grace and mercy, thank You Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.