A Word for the New Year - Pt 5

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 ESV).

Though there are many “words” that we may chose, today I will look at one more from Luke’s description of the early church to install this final devotional in our present series. The word is “joy.” This is that contagious joy that we so often associate with the relationships we cherish most. Everyone is looking for joy. Marketing companies know this and thus every commercial promises the same result: joy. Want some joy? Eat at this restaurant, drive this car, wear this article of clothing. Every commercial portrays the image of a joy-filled person. Everyone wants it. Everyone promises it. But can anyone deliver it? It might surprise you to know that joy is a big topic in the Bible. Simply put: God wants his children to be joy-filled. Just like a father wants his baby to laugh with glee, God longs for us to experience a deep-seated, deeply rooted joy. The joy offered by God joy is different than the one promised from the common wisdom of marketing. God is not interested in putting a temporary smile on our face. He wants to deposit a resilient hope in our heart. He has no interest in giving us a shallow happiness that melts in the heat of adversity. But he does offer us a joy: a deep-seated, heart-felt, honest-to-goodness, ballistic strong sense of joy that can weather the most difficult of storms. Whatever word you choose to make your focus, be intentional. Spend time in the Scripture. Anchor every dream and plan in actual, memorizable words from God. Use these words to recall those moments of exceptional joy in your life previously. There is only good in your future. Ultimately God has an eternal good being prepared for us even now; however, all things will work together for our good in the present tense. It is God’s promise. Trust in that promise and let the joy flood into your life.