Dec 01 2024

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

In this Proverb, we are reminded of the importance of words, which have a profound impact on our lives. Pleasant words are sweet and nourishing. There are many applications of this verse, but today we will focus on two.

The first is that the Lord has given us so many pleasant words in His Word. When we're discouraged about who we are, we can read Psalm 139 and be reminded that He is the one who knitted us together. When we feel anxious, we can turn to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus promises that we will be provided for and that our anxieties are fruitless. When we feel defeated by something, we can turn to Psalm 23, where we are reminded that God always goes before us and prepares a way for us.

We can easily become intimidated by the Bible. It's a very large book from an ancient culture that is far removed from our own! However, when we ask the Lord to help us, we will discover His words to be like a honeycomb: sweet to the soul, and healing to our bones. We can drink in His words over and over again, refreshing our souls with all that He says to us.

And once we are filled with thoughts of Jesus's love, we can share His love with other people. We can use our words to bless other people in the most unsuspecting moments. Ask the Lord to give you an opportunity to speak life into people as you meet them. This is a prayer that, time after time, He seems to answer almost immediately! Ask Him to open your eyes to moments where you can be a minister through your words. This might be in the form of a compliment to the person checking you out in a grocery store, a thoughtful text message to someone special, or even a handwritten note.

Because we have received sweet words from the Lord, we should share sweet words with other people. Our lives are meant to reflect His grace, and He will help us as we call out to Him.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for your mercy and grace to me. Thank you for Scripture—the ultimate place of sweet and nourishing words. Help me to drink it in and then to live it by sharing your love and kindness with the people around me. Help me to cling to you as I speak words of life around me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Nov 30 2024

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.:

In John 16, Jesus is addressing His disciples for the final time before the crucifixion. He tells them they will soon have great sorrow but that He will return to them. They will have inextinguishable joy, which no one will ever take away from them. Today, we'll talk about the joy that the Lord gives us.

Jesus wanted the disciples to know that the sorrow they were about to experience would not be interminable. It would have a clear end—they would see Him again. In the same way, we can remember that our sorrows will not last forever. Like the disciples, there will be a time when our sorrows end. Knowing that our pain has an end date can help us endure it. We can know that this life is brief compared to an eternity with God.

After the time of sorrow, the disciples would have joy that no one could ever take away from them. This refers, of course, to the resurrection. When Jesus, their teacher whom they loved and thought dead, appeared to them, they would be consumed with joy! They would have new hope in Him, finally understanding once and for all that He was God.

Today, we can join in the disciples' joy. Jesus is alive today! He has defeated death and all sin, and nothing can stand between us and His grace. Our salvation is just as incredible as the resurrection. Indeed, our own hearts were dead toward God, unmoved by His promises or faithfulness. This is why Jesus intervened and gave us new life in Him. We take part in the resurrection, and, as it was for the disciples, rejoice on the other side of death.

The disciples' lives were shaped by the joy in the Lord. Each went out to share the Gospel with many nations, and all except for John were ultimately martyred for their faith. They had joy in the Lord that was stronger than their desire to live. Indeed, they had found new life in Jesus—and knew it was worth dying for. Today, think about the joy you have experienced because of Jesus and how you might allow it to shape the way you live.

Dear Lord, thank you so much for the promise of joy. Even though life can be painful today, I know you have made a way for me. Help me to walk in joy with you. Thank you for giving me a way through my sorrows. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.