Daily devotional, Dec 22, 2023 Egg Surprise
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalm 16:11
One of the treats young kids usually ask for in the store is the egg surprise. Most of us moms know about this, but for the unacquainted, these are plastic eggs that contain chocolates and a small toy.
Like us moms, our Heavenly Father longs to surprise us and make us happy. Although some of us may see Him as a distant God or an authoritarian figure, our God is in fact a God of surprises, a Lord of joys.
"For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind."
Ecclesiastes 2:26
Let us be quick to define though that happiness does not always equate material things and everything that the world desires. Yes, the Lord can bless us with objects and properties and our heart’s desires, but all these are given to us in the context of His will. But the joy that the Lord longs to give us is the kind of happiness that is not fleeting.
Imagine yourself finally buying a material thing you have been eyeing. The happiness felt for owning this object can easily go away when you hear bad news, or if not, it fades through time. But the joy that the Lord gives is everlasting:
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17
Our joy becomes complete when we live in the Lord’s presence. When we consciously know that we follow His commands, and that we are not living in sin. When we know that we are commiting sin, and areq conscientious enough our peace of mind is diminished or lost entirely.
But when we know we are doing our best to live in Christlikeness, we have that inner joy knowing that we are pleasing our God, we are not hurting anyone, and that we are doing good to everyone including to ourselves. That is the kind of joy that our Saviour wants us to experience, and have for the rest of our lives.
"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:10-11
So how do we receive that Joy from the Lord? As the above verse says, we abide by the Lord’s commands. We follow His commandments to worship Him alone, and love one another. We follow His will, and we will know it when we seek Him through prayer, communal worship, and studying His word.
The more we get to know God, the more we will be joyful in His presence. Give yourself the gift of joy this Christmas season by TRULY and intentionally following Jesus Christ if you haven’t yet. By that, you will see that though your life may not be problem free, joy will always be in your heart because you know that your Savior is in your midst.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on John 15:1-17 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: What are the ways the Lord has surprised you this year? How has he brought joy in your life this 2023?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you for giving me the chance to make my joy complete. I love you and value our relationship above all else, so please give me the confidence to seek you everyday and find happiness in you always. Amen.