“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalm 16:11 NIV
SEEK HIM: Devotion is Meeting with God in Our Own Lives!
Christmas is known as the happiest time of the year, but what about the rest of the year? What gives us true happiness? Where does joy come from? Thing is, Jesus came at Christmas bringing with Him the gift of His presence. Experiencing this can fill us with joy at Christmas and always. Let’s spend some time unwrapping the gift of joy through time in His Word now! (Start with listening into this brief podcast episode HERE as you begin to think about joy!)
WHAT: What is God saying through this Scripture?
God doesn’t just give one time or occasional joy; He promises to fill us up with joy when we stay close to Him. He helps us know what paths in life we should go, and He fills us with joy as we walk with Him along the way. ~ Does God sound like a generous gift giver in our key verse? What stands out to you from our verse? Where is joy found? What does God’s presence feel like to you?
WHY: Why does this Scripture matter?
The truth of our key verse from the Old Testament mattered so much to the Apostle Peter that he recited it in his testimony (in the New Testament, Acts 2:28). Joy in God’s presence has mattered to generations of His people, and we can choose for this to matter to us, too. ~ How does this verse encourage you? If there are some paths that are paths of life, then what are some other paths you know of? Do you know anyone on these kinds of paths? What type of path do you want to walk?
HOW: How does God want us to respond to this truth?
Each of us gets to decide every day whether or not we will stay close to Jesus. Being in His presence means being mindful of Him, relying on Him, talking to Him and spending time with Him in His Word. This is His path that keeps us close to Him and will result in giving us joy. ~ Are you choosing to stay close to Jesus? In what ways do you stay close to Him right now? How much joy do you have today?
SPEAK HIM: Discipleship is Making God Known to Others!
After Christmas, we put away the decorations, but the joy of God’s presence can decorate our lives all year long. As we “Seek Him,” we can pray with joy (Philippians 1:4), ask for more joy (Psalm 86:4) and sing with joy, because “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:2a, 3 NIV). God’s gift of joy is always available, and we can “open” this gift every day of our lives and experience His joy again and again. What’s more, our joy with Him can overflow so that we “Speak Him” and share His joy with others, at Christmastime and always.
