Devotional for March 15

Blessed Be the Lord, the God of Our Salvation

7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. Psalm 68:7-10, 17-20 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

We are all born like tiny little baby burger kings wanting to have it all our own way. This is one of the hallmarks of our fallen nature. It is time we put aside such childish ways for good. Will you be made whole? Jesus asks the impotent man as well as every one of us the same question. Rise up and sin no more. Learn to praise God through difficulties and rejoice in the face of your weakness. Contemplate what it means to be weak in self so that you can be strong in the Lord. You have a good understanding when such a thought bring you joy. Only those who reach the end of self ever reach out for God. Know that the command to “rejoice in the Lord always” sweetens even the bitterest moments of life. Grieve when it is appropriate to do so, yet continue to praise and thank God through it all. Not for bad circumstances, rather thank God because He is good and He works all things together for good. Having our name written in the Lamb’s book of life is enough to praise and thank God for even in the face of a long and difficult life at present. Even a long life of 120 years is but a moment when seen in the light of eternity. The more we sincerely praise Him in the least enjoyable and mundane things of life, the more we glorify God as the source from which all satisfaction flows. So rejoice when you can get out of bed in the morning. When brushing your teeth, praise God because you have teeth to brush. There are countless tokens of God’s love for us all around us, all day long, that we either take for granted or simply don’t notice. Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice! Praise God our Father because He is good! To Him be the glory and power forever.

Question

What is the difference between happiness and joy?

Answer

Happiness depends on the current circumstances and cools as the situation that causes it remains. Joy comes from trusting God in all circumstances and only increases with each personal experience of the faithfulness of God.