Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 13, 2020
Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Psalm 112:1
Praise to the Lord and fear of the Lord are foundational for a fulfilling life. This is the focus of a child of God in love with and loyal to his or her heavenly Father. Worship of Jesus causes the eyes of faith to see Him in His Shekinah glory. His great love secures the soul, and His hallowed holiness pierces the heart, resulting in joy and reverence for God.
Moses encountered God at the burning bush: “‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God” (Exodus 3:5–6).
When Christ is the core of a belief system, the natural outcome is peace, joy, and happiness. Jesus gives His children His promises so we can walk by faith, trusting that He will do what He said He would do. For example, lasting peace and calm come only from Christ. Jesus gives us peace of mind when others angrily give us a piece of their mind. Happiness comes from resting in eternal expectations, not craving earthly ones.
Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy…. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16: 20, 22).
It is in the presence of Jesus that joy wells up in our inner being. Circumstances and other menacing culprits cannot take away His happiness. We bow our heads in fear of the Lord and then lift our eyes toward heaven in worship of the Lord. In worship, as we are overwhelmed by His majestic glory, we are delighted to follow Christ’s commands.
“Blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable is the one “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:2).
What is the secret to happiness in this life? It is holding with an open hand the temporal and grasping with a firm hand of faith the eternal. It is an unwavering focus on God and not being disillusioned by other well-meaning, and not so well-meaning, Christians. If your joy is gone, replace your fears with the fear of the Lord. Joy follows submission to Jesus.
“As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.’ He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it’” (Luke 11:27–28).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I worship You in the glory of Your holiness, I bless You and praise You for being great God Almighty, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
Am I happy over what brings happiness to the Lord’s heart? Do I joyfully obey Jesus?
Related Reading
1 Samuel 12:14; Psalm 119:166; John 16:33; 3 John 1:1–4
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