Heart Throb

December 18

In Isaiah 60 it says our heart can throb and swell with joy.  I’ve only heard “throb” and “swell” used in reference to bruises or breaks in the body.

You know the scene: You get up in the middle of the night and run right into the edge of the bed that’s been there for years, leaving a huge bruise and bump on your thigh that throbs and swells.  That’s painful, not joyful!

But it’s interesting that here in this verse it says the heart can throb and swell with joy.  When His love knocks up against our wounded soul it sort of gives us a jolt, like hitting the bed in the dark.  Instead of leaving a bruise, though, the throbbing and the swelling that results is joy.  Say what?

A bruise is visible because blood comes to the surface, and it takes time for that blood to once again absorb into the body and the bruise to disappear.  Jesus’ blood was already poured out a long time ago, so when our heart encounters Him, there’s no blood – no bruise – no bump – because he took care of that already! 

Our heart starts beating faster, we feel something rising and swelling, but wait – it’s something good – it’s joy!

Is your heart swelling with joy?  If not, ask Jesus to bump hard into your soul and see what happens…

All Creation

December 17

Later in Isaiah there is a command to the heavens to shout for joy, an imperative to the earth to rejoice, and a directive to the mountains to burst into song.  What a picture!

Have you ever just sat and watched the clouds as they move across the sky? I wrote a silly song for my kids that went something like this,

“When the clouds go rolling by you wonder how they do.  They don’t have skates, they don’t have shoes, so how do they do what they do?  Does somebody pull em, does somebody push em, or do they float in the sky? Or sometimes does the wind just blow when the clouds go rolling by?”

It was a joyful tune, because floating clouds are joyful.  I imagine the earth is seen rejoicing when rain falls on a farmer’s dry fields, or when the first snow lands in a children’s playground.  And mountains are just the definition of joy, as they jut out from the ground reaching up to the Creator as if to respond and say, “You’re awesome, God!”

If these created things can rejoice, how much more can we too shout for joy because the Creator lives inside our hearts!

Parched?

December 16

Isaiah 35 speaks of the desert and parched land being glad, the wilderness rejoicing and blossoming, and the crocus (like a rose) will burst into bloom – greatly shouting for joy.

Remember the thirsty traveler in yesterday’s devotion?  When we stop and drink from the deep well of salvation we become satisfied…and then the miracle happens.  It’s nothing we are doing to make it happen, other than drinking from that well.

Have you ever had a potted plant dry up and all the blossoms droop lifelessly as they hang off the sides of the container?  I’ve come home to that picture many times on my front porch!  I quickly go in, fill my watering can, and douse the plant with water.  The plant has done nothing, but I’ve offered it life.

It’s amazing how in a matter of minutes that plant perks up and one could never tell that it had once been dry, because the water is immediately soaked up and received – and the plant responds.

It does create stress on a plant to get that dry over and over again, so it’s important to keep it well watered, and the same is true of our own heart.

Drink daily. Don’t let yourself become so parched that you droop.  Let Him douse you.  Then respond.

Easy Party Snack!

These are called "mock" turtles and they were so easy to make!  Lay out mini pretzel twists on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place a Rolo candy piece (big side down) on each one. Bake in the oven at 250 degrees for 4 minutes.  While the candies are soft, press a pecan half on each one.

A great bite-sized dessert to take to parties!

Drink with Joy

December 15

Isaiah 12 says God himself is our strength, our defense and our salvation.  Then it says “with joy” we will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Are you thirsty?  In other words, do you feel like you’re running on fumes, you’re about to have to pull over to the side of the road for a mandatory rest stop…in hopes that someone will kindly stop and fill your tank? The truth is – even if someone does – you will run dry again.

However, (gotta love that word), when we draw our strength from this deep, deep well of water that springs from God himself – the source of all we need – we don’t keep running dry anymore!  His drink satisfies!

Not only that, but we can draw from Him with joy because we know there’s plenty more where the first drink comes from…

Drink with Joy today…

Promote Peace - Get Joy

December 14

Proverbs says there is joy for those who promote peace.  I really like reading Proverbs.  It’s full of great one-liners – truthful one-liners.

How do we promote peace?  P-E-A-C-E is another sentiment seen and heard everywhere at Christmastime.  It’s even written in lights on garage doors or rooftops.  World Peace is what many actually want for Christmas, so that our soldiers can return home, safe and sound, and the world can rest from war.

But to promote peace individually in our own lives so that joy can be ours?   How can we do that? I can think of another verse that says great peace belongs to those who love HIS law and nothing shall offend them.  Somehow, when we love His ways, His word, His character…we don’t get irritated and ticked off at others…and we don’t lose our peace.

“Promote Peace.” That’s the phrase of the day.  Go after HIM, fall in love with HIM, read HIS word and love it – and all offenses will be healed – and you will have JOY.

It's an Honor

December 13, 2012

Psalm 149 says God takes delight in his people and crowns the humble with salvation.  Then it says we are to rejoice in this honor and sing for joy about it on our beds!

Another way to invite joy into your home is to recall your salvation and the God who sent his Son to die for you, so you don’t have to die.  Remember the love that sent Him to the cross to take on all the sins of the world so we can go free – and live an abundant life.  Realize the honor he has bestowed upon us – his children – that we are called the sons of God.  Forever, we are adopted into His family – and what great benefits come from that.

When we lie in bed at night, it seems that’s the time of day that thoughts start to circle.  I’m convinced that when the lights go out all sickness, all fear, all panic, and all worry start to swirl around our heads like crazy flies waiting to land.  

However, when we begin to rejoice in “this honor” and realize the delight God has in us – his children – and start to hear Him sing over us as we drift off to sleep – we start to sing back to him with songs of joy.

What does a song of joy sound like?  It might be a tune, a smile, or waving of the hands, or a burst and a shout!  And it comes out of an humble heart that rejoices in salvation.