Tag Archives: rejoice and be glad

This Is The Day The Lord Has Made

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Gratitude - This Is The Day The Lord Has Made - Psalm 118:24 - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Gratitude – This Is The Day The Lord Has Made – Psalm 118:24 – Growing As Disciples

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (NIV)

Rejoice And Be Glad

Is there anything special about this day? This is a drab and dreary day for many. They will get up to go through the same motions that are no different than any other day. They will put one foot in front of the other to take steps to get done what they feel they must do before their day ends. They have no lasting hope or joy. Their lives are filled with quiet desperation. A completed “to do list” brings them no satisfaction because they know that another list will be waiting for them to begin again in the morning. They are not changing and becoming what they thought and dreamed they might one day become. Do you know anyone that is living this kind of drab and dreary hopeless kind of life? 

I am embarrassed to say that I have lived this dreary and hopeless kind of life. I have had my eyes entirely focused on what I thought I must get done. I have raced wearily from one task to another. I have felt the hopelessness of a life without apparent meaning. These thoughts and experiences are not completely foreign to me.

How about now? Have you allowed yourself to become weary and worn out? In your weariness have you lost your joy and felt hopeless? When you say “now” do you mean today or in a recent season of my life? Are you asking me if I am susceptible to feeling hopeless or joyless even as one of your followers? Yes, I am.

You know the answer to that. Yes, I do. There are days that I feel like locking the door, disconnecting the phone and pulling the covers over my head. On those days, I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything. If I didn’t see another person on those days it would be just fine with me.

Is today anything like that? Yes, as a matter of fact it is. What would you have to say if I told you that today is a day that I made for you? How would you respond to me if I asked you to rejoice and be glad in today? I might mumble and grumble about that idea.

You have described a day like today as a “crash and burn” day. Yes, I have. How did you reach the low point of today? I have been racing through life going from one thing to another. I’ve been living as if everything depends on me. I’ve looked every direction except up. I’ve trusted in everything and everyone other than you. I have not relied on your strength. I have not asked for your help. So, here I am, at a complete stop, running on empty. Yes, I can see that.

Is today a good day or a bad day? I know that it is a good day. Why is that? I know that it is a good day because you have gotten my attention. You want me to look to you for all that I need. You want me to place all my trust in you. You want me to rely on you and your strength. Yes, I do. You want me to rejoice in this day that you have made for me to live with and for you. Yes, I do. 

Lord, thank you for making this day for me to live for you. Guide my steps and guard my path as I follow and obey you. Help me to rejoice and be glad as I proclaim your goodness to others that I will meet today. I love you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Gratitude – Psalm 118-24 – This Is The Day The Lord Has Made – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                    Copying not permitted                         http://www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Glad

Posted on by
Reply
Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Be - Matthew 5:11-12 - Glad - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Be – Matthew 5:11-12 – Glad – Growing As Disciples

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

Persecution

Don’t be surprised. The world hated me. The world will hate you. The world insulted me. The world will insult you. The world persecuted me. The world will persecute you. The world spoke every evil against me. The world will speak every evil against you. You are in good company with me. You are in good company with my followers that have gone before you. You have been given the privilege to believe in me. You have also been given the privilege to suffer for me. Everyone who desires to live a Godly life will be persecuted. I’m telling you this now so that you will not fall away from me. You will not become discouraged. You will not give up. You will not quit. You will be encouraged. You will be strengthened. You will be lifted-up. You will keep on loving, following and serving me. You will shine brightly for me as a witness in the world. Yes, I will, with all your help. 

What will you do? How will you respond when times of hate, insult and persecution come against you? I will remember your words of warning to me. I will remember the kind of life you lived. I will keep my heart and mind and life focused on you. You will be my strength. You will be my encouragement. You will be my support. I will live like you lived. I will do what you did. What did I do? How did I live? You kept on loving others even when they hated, insulted and persecuted you. You did not harbor hate. You did not seek revenge. You did not pay back evil with evil. You kept on doing your Father’s will. You drew near to your Father as He drew near to you. He sustained you. He helped you. You relied on Him. That is what I will do. I will draw near to you as you draw near to me. I know that you will bring me through every difficulty in life. You will be with me to help me. I will rely on you completely Yes, I will be with you to help you. Yes, I will bring you through every difficulty in life. Yes, you can and will rely on me every step of your way through life. You will be my witness. Your life will bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name.

Lord, I know I am in good company with you and your followers when I am insulted, persecuted and falsely spoken of, because of my faith in you. I will be glad because I know that a great reward awaits me in heaven. Help me now to be your witness in the world. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Be – Matthew 5-11-12 – Glad – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com