 Autumn Glory
I love the fall season! Everything about it is a pleasant reprieve from the long dog days of the summer heat. In the fall, we celebrate the harvest that has been produced all summer long. As many are no longer directly connected to agricultural life. Maybe this celebration is more about pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, and autumn holidays; but still there is joy all around. Again, we also get to begin to experience brisk mornings and cool evenings with the comfort of a warm hoodie or sweater. The weather begins to bring some nostalgic feelings from our childhoods trick-or-treating around town and playing in the leaves in our grandparents' front yard. We also get to witness some of the most beautiful vistas as we see the Lord paint a masterpiece with the fall foliage. But, today, I want to think about how we can reflect on the good things we have received from the Lord as the Autumn days usher us into the holiday season. His Benefits In Psalm 103, David is praising God and blessing His name! In this act of adoration he calls upon his soul to not forget the benefits of the Lord. If we were to attempt to name all the benefits we have received from the Lord that would be the rest of our existence for they increase faster than we can acknowledge them. However, David does give us an abbreviated list. David reminds himself that God forgives our iniquities meaning those horrible and twisted sins which separate us from God. God also heals all our diseases that focus our mind on how even in our darkest and most distressed moments God is able to make us whole and well. Next David moves to the grace of redemption that we have received from God. Ultimately, as new covenant believers we know that this reality of being redeemed from the pit is because we have received salvation through David’s descendant the Lord Jesus Christ. Then David begins proclaiming that God crowns His people with steadfast love and mercy. This crowning is a reflection of who God is, the one who is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:5-7). The Lord is also the one who truly satisfies His people with good and with renewed youth. Of course, we could go on but I think we get the point that the benefits that we have received from God are tremendous. His Blessings As Paul writes to the Ephesians he instructs them that they have been blessed in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3-10). No spiritual blessings are withheld from those who are in Christ because He is the heir of all things and in Him we too receive this vast inheritance. Through faith we are also blessed along with Father Abraham (Galatians 3:7-9). For it is not the physical descendants that receive the blessing the God promised through Abraham to the nations but rather the spiritual descendants who are so called because of their true faith. We are Abraham children because we have the faith of Abraham. Finally, Paul also wrote to Titus telling Him that because of Christ we are waiting on a blessed hope (Titus 2:11-14) We are not like the world of unbelievers with only a wish that this life is all there is but we have a firm hope in the everlasting life provided for us by Jesus Christ! His Beauty The Prophet Zechariah when telling of the salvation that God’s champion the Anointed One would bring, emphasizes the goodness and the beauty (Zechariah 9:14-17). The Bible goes out of its way to not describe Jesus' physical appearance except in Isaiah 53 which shows how grotesquely He was beaten. Yet, we do know that regardless of His height or complexion or body composition, His beauty was in His moral virtue and perfection. Dear readers, this will be my final article on this blog. Thank you for reading each week and encouraging me to continue writing. This exercise really has served to improve both my thinking and my expression. As I bid you goodbye let me also leave you with the blessing of God. May God bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you (Numbers 6:22-27)!
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 Wise Word
I love reading the Bible chronologically! I hope many of the folks in our church are reading along with the plan that the Daughters of the Word group are using, which is posted in the bulletin each week. This week we are getting into the book of Proverbs. This is such a fruitful portion of Scripture giving helpful and practical instruction for those who are humble and teachable. The reads for this week brought us all the way to chapter 8 of these wise statements. As I was reading, I was struck by something interesting that I would like for us to think about together in this post. Of course in the flow of Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as a feminine being. She is contrasted with the adulterous woman who calls on the young men to ruin their lives. She is also a helper and assistant to Yahweh. Surely, the point is that all wisdom belongs to God and comes from God. As she speaks of her relationship and work with God she also points out the great joy and delight that He has in her, that she has before Him, and that we should have through wisdom. Divine Delight In Proverbs 8:30, Wisdom states that she is “daily His delight.” Think about that! God who is all wise and omniscient delights in wisdom. So often one of the flaws that we experience in our finitude is that we are quick to become bored with what was so impressive when we first learned or experienced it. For example last year we had a total solar eclipse. It was anticipated and exciting! But as impressive and interesting as it was, I couldn’t help but imagine that if we had a total eclipse every day like we do have sunrises and sunsets, then it would just become a typical event. Even if it were only every week or every month, I expect that we would grow complacent. But God never grows tired of wisdom. Notice, God is not described as simply satisfied by wisdom but is delighted by her. God is happy to behold wisdom rejoicing before Him. One application of this is that when we allow wisdom to teach us and direct our decisions and actions we can know that God is pleased because He delights in wisdom. Wisdom’s Rejoicing But it is not only God who is experiencing joy but Wisdom herself. She is said to be “rejoicing before Him,” this means in His presence (Proverbs 8:30-31). There is great joy in the perfect presence of God and Wisdom is not some somber stick in the mud but one who along with love rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Wisdom is happy to be in the presence of God. But Wisdom is also rejoicing in the inhabited world. I think that one point of joy meant by this is that Wisdom is glad that the world is filled with image bearers of God and that the mandate given to Adam and Eve in the garden and again to Noah is being fulfilled (Genesis 1:26-28; 9:1-7). In this way we see the joy of wisdom in the fulfillment of God's will. Wisdom is actively delighting in the children of man. Blessed Children Don’t we all want our children to be happy? Wisdom goes on in our text to instruct us to keep her ways because in them we will be blessed (Proverbs 8:32-34). I think it is important to understand that keeping her ways is not just knowledge but the discipleship of following her instructions in our daily lives. The disciples literally followed Jesus, and the Apostles instructed the church to follow their way of life, not just know their doctrine (1 John 2:4-6). So let us not be mere students, but true disciples that follow the ways and wisdom of Jesus.  Attitude
Wouldn’t life be easy if everyone just held the same opinions and preferences? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were all perfectly aligned about everything? Well, actually, if you really push this thought experiment to its logical conclusion the reality is that you end up losing all creativity and variation. The reason is because we would all be doing the same things, seeking the same things, and thinking the same things. All entertainment, comedy, excitement, and fun would be completely foreign. It would be a sad monocultural environment with the complexity, beauty, and refinement that God made when He created the world. Perfection is not sameness. Recently, I have been thinking through and discerning the attitude of my own heart, and I have come to the conclusion that I desire to obey the Lord in His instruction that I must wage war against bitterness and strife in my own heart (Hebrews 12:12-17). Therefore, I have determined that as far as it depends on me I will live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:9-21). I have determined that I will seek to bless those who disagree with me and seek their good and their benefit. I will always be seeking the optimistic hope of finding a win-win situation! Mature Minds When Paul was writing to the Corinthians about their misuse of the gifts of the Spirit, he exhorted them to understand that the presence of their gifts was meant to build each other up in Christ. Since this is the case he told them that they should be mature in their thinking (1 Corinthians 14:1-5;20-25). Now, Paul is clear that he does not mean mature in the sense that our culture would mean in terms of being sensually explicit. Rather, he means that they should recognize how they can put their own self interest aside to serve and bless each other. I am convinced that I must be mature in my mind with my thinking set on the purposes and instructions of Christ. These things may appear foolish to the world and even strange to some other believers but since Jesus is King, His will must take priority in all things. Paul also takes up this same priority of seeking their advantage over his own in his second letter by alerting the Corinthians to the fact that what he has been doing for them is for their building up (2 Corinthians 12:14-21). The point is that this sentiment is found all through the Scriptures. We must settle in our minds to think rightly and not sin in our thinking through bitterness, pride, or selfishness. Humble Hearts Ultimately, this is a matter of the heart. Genuinely loving and caring for people means that we are making ourselves vulnerable to be hurt and offended. But we must be the ones who decide what that offense will be to us. Will we allow that hurt to harden our hearts causing us to be cynical and critical? Or can we allow that wound to make us more tender than the genuine pain being endured by other believers so that we can love and serve them well? I think that it is obvious that the latter must be our aim. The Lord Jesus also modeled for us that we should have this kind of humility of heart. He invites the weary and weak to come to Him for the true rest (Matthew 11:25-30). Jesus says that we need to learn from Him because He is gentle and humble of heart. Remember Jesus is the Christ. He is the anointed One who is sent to rule and reign but is showing us what greatness in His kingdom really means. My desire is to follow Jesus, so I have decided that I will devote myself to the upbuilding and edification of others, the advancement of the gospel regardless of circumstances, and to seek that which is to everyone's advantage. I’m looking for how we can all experience a win-win situation!  Names
William Shakespeare, in his famous romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, contemplates the importance of names as mere titles. However, names seem to be far more than that. Many names are going to always cause you to immediately think of certain individuals, while some other names will cause you to begin to think about just how many people you know who have that name. A couple of common names like John or Michael probably make numerous appearances in your contacts app. But these names are connected with individuals, acquaintances, friends, and family, including the people who you love and admire the most. However, not all names are common. My maternal grandfather was named Reford. That is not a typo that was his name. It is also not a nickname. Reford was his actual middle name and the name he used in everyday life. I bet you have never met anyone else named Reford. Less common names like this are memorable. In today’s post I want to remember two dear saints who have gone on to be with Christ this last week who had unique names and were special people. Voddie Last Thursday, September 25th, Voddie Baucham Jr. died at the age of 56 years old. I had the opportunity to hear him preach at a few conferences of varying sizes over the years. I was also greatly helped through his teaching ministry online and through his written work.The greatest exposure to his pastoral and bold teaching came when he gave a series of lectures at Grace Bible Theological Seminary around 2018. Voddie was both courageous and compassionate. What most impressed me about his ministry was his tenacious commitment to the scriptures. One thing that is difficult to quantify is the impact of these people who have influenced and affected our lives even though we really had no personal relationship with them. Men such as Voddie Baucham and John MacArthur didn’t know me, but I had consumed enough of their teaching, preaching, and writing that I felt that I knew them even with the relationship being completely one sided. For people like me, I am grieved for the family and friends of this dear brother and of course thankful for the promise and hope we have because of God’s amazing grace, but it is a distant and strange kind of mourning. Bronwyn The second person I would like to remember in this post has had a far more profound impact on my life. Bronwyn King passed away last Friday evening, September 26th. Bronwyn’s life was marked by many things. She was a hard worker both in the service of the church body and in the realm of civic engagement. Alongside her husband, our brother Bob King, she could be found participating in boards, meetings, and initiatives all over Searcy County. All of this community involvement was motivated by her gracious and generous spirit. She was a true servant willing to give altruistically for the good of other people. But even more amazing to me was her kindness and joy. I can hardly think of a time when she wasn’t smiling. Her kindness poured out in a spirit of hospitality and care. Bronwyn’s happy demeanor was infectious. Her life is a true example of receiving the good gifts of the Lord as the blessings that they are. As her pastor, I can testify that Bronwyn was a great encourager through all circumstances and quick to give grace and even praise when it probably was not deserved. Bronwyn’s joy endured even through these last two years of declining health. As our gracious Lord poured sweet and precious peace on Bob and Bronwyn through those long days. It was amazing to witness the goodness of God toward them. This blessing was nothing short of miraculous. So as I think about these and other dear saints who we have lost in recent weeks and months, especially our sister Bronwyn, I am captivated by the Psalmist words in Psalm 116:15-19. So I will end this post encouraging you to meditate on these words. Psalm 116:15-19 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
 Questions
Right now in our society and culture we are filled with all kinds of questions. Questions about what should happen in light of what has happened. Questions about what will happen both good and bad. Questions about God’s will and His sovereign purposes in the world. I will readily admit that I do not have the answers to all of these types of questions or maybe even any of these types of questions. However, in this post I want to point us to the hope and assurance of real answers not only to our questions but also to our deepest desires, longing, and needs. Asking James, the brother of our Lord Jesus, explains to us that sometimes we lack things because we are asking wrongly and for the wrong things. But he also informs us that on many occasions we do not have it because we do not ask (James 4:1-3). God is a God who gives good gifts and blessings to his people and he does good and gracious things for us (James 1:16-18). But we are commanded by God to bring our requests to Him. We are given by God access to His throne of grace and yet we so often wallow in self pity and doubt because we are either too proud, too foolish, or too faithless to ask (Hebrews 4:14-16). The Lord Jesus also taught us that we should ask, saying that when we ask it will be given to us and assuring us that everyone who asks receives (Matthew 7:7-11). So often as a reaction to the false teaching of the prosperity gospel our interpretation of this text dies the death of a thousand qualifications. But what if we came to our Father with simple childlike faith. He won’t give us those things that will harm us so we can come with freedom and boldness knowing that we really can trust His grace and wisdom. Sometimes, I think that our theology of God’s sovereignty quenches our prayers. But Jesus addressed this also. Just a few verses before this encouragement to ask according to His will, Jesus tells the crowds to lay aside their anxiety and seek first His kingdom because God already knows their needs. It is out of this firm faith in both God’s knowledge and power that we freely and boldly ask for all that we need from Him (Matthew 6:25-34). Hope The Apostle Paul, when discussing the present suffering being experienced by the Christians through the Roman empire in the first century, calls the Romans to remember the hope of redemption and salvation. He points out that hope depends on faith because to hope for what is seen is not hope, but to hope for what you cannot yet see is the faithful hope of the true believers (Romans 8:18-25). God is faithful and Paul goes on to tell us that if God has given us Jesus and not spared His own Son then why would we not expect for God to graciously give us all things (Romans 8:31-32)? Since by faith we know these things to be ultimately true. We also should be quick to count our blessings, recognize God’s answers to our requests, and praise King Jesus for all His benefits that we experience as His people (Psalm 103:1-2)! Praise the Lord!  Church
What does the word “church” mean? This word that we use today to refer to the buildings that Christians meet in or for the Christian gathering itself comes from the Scottish or Old English word “kirk” which is derived from a Greek term meaning “the house/ residence belonging to the Lord.” The only times this Greek term is used in the New Testament is in reference to the Lord’s supper (1 Corinthians 11:20) and the Lord’s day (Revelation 1:10), interestingly enough neither of these are referring to a place or a meeting. Of course, I began thinking about the term as I have been processing the violence happening in our country. I am writing this piece on Thursday, September 11, 2025. On the twenty fourth anniversary of the horrific attacks made on our country yet mourning the evil taking place right now in our land. Yesterday afternoon I was reengaging with some news after being disconnected for a couple of days and really just learning the details of the murder of the Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska who was brutally stabbed in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was appalling to think about how callous and cold blood this murder was. However, as I was considering this atrocity on Facebook and X, the news broke about the assasination of Charlie Kirk. I watched the video! It seemed surreal and it still does that a person on a college campus just talking with people about ideas would be murdered. I have not been an avid follower of Charlie Kirk. I have listened to many clips of exchanges he has had with opponents over the years and I watched much of his coverage of the 2024 election night. I knew that he was an outspoken Christian and conservative political activist. But this is different than even the President being shot at last year or other politicians being under attack because even as those acts of violence are just as wrong, the twisted logic of the assailants is obviously to keep them from those positions of power and influence. But Charlie Kirk wasn’t a politician or a candidate. He was well spoken, articulate Christian with the character, courage, and commitment to communicate his ideas passionately and persuasively. This is not ok. The slaying of an innocent young woman named Iryna Zarutska on a subway is not ok. The deliberate murder of a young man named Charlie Kirk, who simply argued for his values and work to advance the truth, is not ok. So what should we as Christians do about it? Pray But what should we pray for? First, it is right and righteous to pray for the just judge of all the world to bring about justice. It is ok for you to agree with David in Psalm 11 and ask for what he asks for. 11:1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain, 2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; 3 if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4 The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven;his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. 5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. 6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous;he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. Notice the underlined portions of the texts above. When the wicked are set on the destruction of God’s people we can call on God not only for vengeance but also for judgement and justice. Notice especially verse 6, this is what is called an imprecatory prayer. David is calling on God to punish the wicked for their wicked deeds. We should also be praying for mercy and blessing for those harmed and victimized. We must pray for Erika Kirk and her children who have lost a husband and father. We should also seek God for extended family and true friends and those who knew and loved this brother in Christ. Also we should be urged to pray for awakening in our country. By awakening I am referring to the true and rapid conversion of multitudes to Christ. The problem in our culture is that it is full of believers, who believe lies about their bodies, their autonomy, their identity and their souls. We must pray that the Lord would open their hearts, give sight to their eyes, and give them faith to repent of believing these lies and to trust in the truth of Jesus. Proclaim But for that to happen we must tell them! We must open our mouths and tell them about the truth about Christ Jesus. That He is god in the flesh. That He lived a perfect and sinless life. That He died and paid the full penalty for sin for everyone who believes in Him! And that He rose from the grave to give life to all believers. We must tell people this is good news! We must tell them that Jesus is the King and call them all to trust Him, submit to Him, and obey Him! Praise God Charlie Kirk is with the Lord! But remember that the word “kirk” means “belongs to the Lord”. This is the Lord Jesus’ world! It’s His kingdom! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:30-31)!  Delegation
One of the important elements which is at play in our journey toward maturity is our understanding of the relationship between authority and responsibility. This is most evident in the relationship between parents and their children. When children are young the parents have virtually unlimited authority, but they also have responsibility for the wellbeing, safety, and actions of the children. For example, if a small child breaks a piece of art in another person's home or business the responsibility to make restitution in that situation belongs not to the child but to the parent who bears responsibility for that child. This is the same principle that supports our concept of delegation. If a king or president or boss gives a subordinate subject, citizen, or employee instruction to do something or conduct some business the authority of the subordinate is coming from the leader and the responsibility for the followers actions is on the leader. In today’s post, I would like to consider how this same principle was applied in other contexts in the Bible and how it is applied in a broader context to our relationship with the Lord. Consequences In 2 Samuel 13, we find one of the more gritty and dark episodes in the Bible. King David’s son Amnon is overcome with lust for his half-sister Tamar and he violates her. Her full brother Absalom is then set on avenging the wrong done to his sister. Absalom devised a cunning plan to murder his brother Amnon. But the actual bloodshed was not at Absalom’s hand but rather the deed was carried out by his servants. So should Absalom or the servants be held responsible for this wicked deed? Also, why did the servants do something that was so obviously wrong? I believe the answer is found in the principle of delegation that I mentioned earlier. In verse 28 of the chapter Absalom tells his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” Notice that the servants are acting on the authority of their master and the responsibility of this action is primarily on Absalom because with his command he took the responsibility as well. Encouragement The wording that Absalom used probably sounds familiar to you. This same language is used in other places in the Old Testament. The most famous is probably when the Lord was commanding Joshua to lead His people into the promised land (Joshua 1:1-9). In this passage God is calling Joshua to be strong and courageous, as well as to devote himself to be obedient to God’s word. In verse 9, God issues the same words of delegation to Joshua. Joshua should have confidence in the accomplishment of everything that God is sending Him to do because the authority is the Lord’s and the responsibility is the Lord’s. When we walk in honest obedience to the sure word of God (2 Peter 1:16-21), we ought to have the confidence of servants bearing the authority of Christ who bears the responsibility for His commands. Promises A part of what God was doing when speaking this way to Joshua was to imply the promise of His presence and ultimate success. Much later, when Jesus was about to go to the cross and He knew His disciples would be confused and scattered, He comforted them with a promise that He was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:1-6). Jesus promised them that He would come again to receive them to Himself and take them to be with Him. Jesus told the disciples that in the house of God are many dwelling places and sealed this promise with the words, “If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.” These great and precious promises that Jesus was giving to His disciples carried His omnipotent authority, and He bore all the responsibility for the reliability of these words.  Good Intentions
There is a well known saying that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I interpret that to mean that we can easily be convinced to use questionable or even overtly sinful means to accomplish what we believe is a good result. This is the classic idea of the ends justifying the means. The reality is that this is a dangerous slippery slope that has caused the downfall of many people. I recently heard the testimony of a woman who spent five years in prison. She was a religious woman and would have been considered upper middle class. Do you want to know what she was convicted of? Loan fraud. As I listened to her share her story, she was now impressively willing to take responsibility for her wrong doing and had clearly forgiven those who had sinned against her. But she also spoke about how everyone (the loan officers, real estate agents, etc.) were constantly telling her that they were not doing anything wrong flipping these real estate deals, but she always knew it didn’t feel right. However, even though it didn’t seem right, the results of financial gain and the shady reassurance of these ‘allies’ pushed her past the warnings of her conscience and cost her five years away from her husband and children. Honesty One thing that we must acknowledge from the beginning of any discussion about clarity is that we must be fully committed to radical honesty (Proverbs 16:17-18). One of the things that wars against clarity especially in interpersonal communication is the desire to hide something or deceive someone. It can be as simple as trying to protect an image or reputation or as sinister as covering up a horrible crime but the motive is the same. The motive I am talking about is pride. Pride causes us to avoid those things that we think will make us feel ashamed and promote things even if not true that we think will make us feel loved, accepted, or accomplished. But in the justice of God it is usually the very words of pride and arrogance which the Lord uses to bring down and destroy those who boast even while in their sin (Psalm 59:11-13). Since this is the case, the old adage is true, honesty truly is the best policy. Simplicity The second enemy of clarity is complexity. This happens when we begin to compound ideas and concepts not in any way that is incorrect or dishonest but in a way that is necessarily technical. Complexity is often employed in an effort to convey profundity or intelligence. Ironically, the best teachers and communicators are not those who make their message more difficult to understand but rather those who make everything easier to understand. Precision My point is not to say that everything needs to be dumbed down to the most elementary level, but that we should use normal language to be as clear as possible. This also means that we need to be willing to explain our words for the purpose of being understood. For example, if we are discussing the reality that God is all powerful it is ok to use the term omnipotent but we also need to be sure that we are being understood. Teammates know the signs and the plays but a rookie must be taught the playbook and symbols for success to be achieved. People often criticize those in the church for employing Christianese language. However, any group is going to develop terminology and expressions unique to their shared beliefs and experiences and Christians are no different. The important part is about the context in which the language is used. For example, in a Christian meeting or Bible study where all or most of the participants understand the nuanced language this terminology can be very effective to help keep the understanding clear and preceding. But in evangelistic scenarios especially outside the church meeting the exception should be to need to use the common vernacular speech. This is because the goal should always be to be understood and not to conceal or deceive (Colossians 4:3-4).  Happiness
Last week we considered the type of sadness and mourning that should be the experience of believers. In this week’s post I want to consider those things which ought to be the reason for our rejoicing and the basis for our happiness. Remember that old hymn that encourages us to count our blessings and name them one by one. Just as there is a godly way and reason for grief, there is also a godly way and reason for us to enjoy happiness. Count Your Many Blessings In Jesus’ famous teaching from the mountain, He gave a list of those who despite their present carnal circumstances are truly blessed (Matthew 5:3-12)! Considering each of those points the Lord points the audience not only to the present experience but also to the sure outcome. Those who are poor in Spirit will own the Kingdom of heaven, those who mourn will be comforted, those who have an appetite for righteousness will be satisfied, those who are merciful will receive mercy, those who are pure shall see God, those who make peace will be called God’s children, those who are persecuted will also possess the Kingdom! Then Jesus says “Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven!” Jesus tells us that we ought to be glad because there is a reward for His people. The more we contemplate the value and beauty of these promised rewards the happier we should become, assuming we truly believe that we will receive these rewards. We also should strive all the more to live as those who are destined to receive these things. Gladiness in God One thing that we ought always to be glad about is the mere existence of God. God in and of Himself is a reason to be glad. All His attributes, actions, and affections are reasons for us to rejoice. Whether we are meditating on God’s goodness and love or His anger and judgment, the reality remains that we ought to be glad in the reign of such a holy, righteous, and perfect God (Psalm 9:1-2). An honest spiritually minded assessment of comparative religions will show that the God described and revealed in the Bible is unique and distinct from all the false and fictitious gods in the world. Whether they are the product of the imagination of men or a deliberate lie from the evil one those deities are insufficient to compare with the true God. Joy in Jesus All believers also ought to rejoice that we have received salvation through Christ (1 Peter 4:12-14). God did not owe us hope or salvation but Jesus came and redeemed us for Himself, for His own possession. It should be the greatest joy and happiness to belong heart and soul to our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-14). Even the proclamation and sharing of the good news is reason for rejoicing. The message of the gospel is not a somber message but a happy message reflecting the love of God and revealing peace with God. Remember the gospel is good news (Isaiah 5:6-10)! It should be delivered as a message of hope and joy. Even at Jesus’ birth you will remember that the heavenly host announced to the shepherds good tidings of great joy (Luke 2:8-20). So even in the midst of temporary struggles and hardships we can look to Jesus and rejoice in Him! |
