Day 20 - 40 Days of JOY

Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of JOY
Day  20 | FINDING JOY IN HIM
FINDING JOY IN HIM

1 Chronicles 16:26-28
“For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.”


If the last people who visited your home were asked if they saw your home as a JOYFUL place, what would they answer?

That’s a rather pointed question.  And yet, for the follower of Jesus, there would be nothing at all wrong with hoping and expecting visitors to see our homes as joy-full places.

So, the next question that may pop in your thinking might be, “Ok, so how does that happen? How can my home BE a joyful place?”

At least part of the answer to that question lies in these verses from this Old Testament passage.
 
We read that “strength and joy are in his dwelling place.” 

The Amplified Bible says: “Splendor and majesty are [found] in His presence; Strength and joy are [found] in His place (sanctuary).

The Message version reads: “Splendor and majesty flow out of him, strength and joy fill his place.”

Thus, where we SPEND TIME makes the difference.  Spend time in His sanctuary and you’ll find strength and joy.  Does that mean spending time in a church building?  Well, that might not be a bad thing… but it’s better to understand this as spending time in His presence.  In prayer.  In His Word.  Listening to His “still small voice” within. And that we can do seven days a week!

Prayer: LORD, thank You for offering me strength and joy by spending quality time with You.  Help me make that a daily priority and not just something I do if and when everything else is done.  Amen.