Whatever good system the founding fathers of America established is hardly, if at all, recognizable today. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are no longer American values, except for a twisted version of the last one. Today is not a day of celebration. It ought to be of mourning. Christians are thankful to have true life in Christ, freedom from sin and its eternal consequences because of the Cross, and the possession of irrepressible joy in the Holy Spirit. These are the real reasons for celebration.
joy
There are 9 posts tagged joy (this is page 1 of 3).
Piety with no purpose?
Using Eccl 8.15 as the surprising text on the subject, Ed M. writes today about the mysteries of life and deferred judgment.
Because of the inequities in life, men rush to conclusions that cannot be sustained. They deny divine providence. They suppose God is indifferent to moral distinctions. They decide that piety has no purpose. The presence of such perplexing phenomena is painful. No arguments can solve them. No exercise of faith can charm them away. Many desire to see and hear the deeper things of God but are denied such privileged information, Luke 10:24.
We need these reminders often, since the evil one would persuade us that God is not good.
Joy our defense
Because of travel, I’m late in Ed M.’s devotionals. I just read his entry on Neh 8.10.
… we have good reason to be happy. For, at all times, a holy joy is a defense against evil, a strength in sorrow, a power to endure trying circumstances.
Amen, amen!
Focus question: How does sadness bring weakness?