December 19, 2019 - IS YOU JOY IN CHRIST SHOWING?

Day 353 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 16:1-14; Psalm 140; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15)

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise 
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds 
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.” (Psalm 66:1-3 ESV) 

The Psalmist encourages his readers to “shout for joy to God.” The reason for this joy are the awesome deeds of God. 

Many people are looking for joy, peace and happiness without Jesus. But Jesus is the only One whose awesome deeds involve the forgiveness of your sins and the promise of eternal life. And this gives you real, true, deep down joy.

Do not confuse Christian joy with mere happiness. Joy is far deeper and can be present even in the darkest of hours. Paul reflects this truth with these words first given to the Christians in Philippi: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”  (Philippians 8:3 ESV)

1. Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her King;      
Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and heaven and nature sing.

2. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!  Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3. No more let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

4. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders of His love.

Lord God, thank You for the joy of knowing Your mercy, forgiveness and promise of heaven  Please use me today to share the joy of Jesus with others today. In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Pastor David Paape 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings from the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2019 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless your meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!