Today’s Scriptures: Psalm 21; Genesis 15:1-18; Matthew 12:33-37
“You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.” – Psalm 21:6
Friday nights are sacred in our house. The life of a pastor leaves little room for margin. We spend our weeks like most normal families, rushing around with work and coming home to get dinner ready, doing homework, and going through bedtime routines. But the difference is Sundays. Sunday is the busiest day of our week. This makes our Friday night the only night when nothing happens the next day. We fill this night with special desserts, movies, board games, and staying up past bedtime. Fridays are sacred because our family intentionally spends time together. There is so much joy just being in each other’s presence.
There are times I wish joy were easier than this, though. While it is simple, spending unhurried time together. It is hard to protect this sacred time. Everything in the world seems to want that spot in our lives. But we must protect it; otherwise, we will never get to have that true joy together.
True joy, joy that gives our souls life, is no different. It is from spending unhurried time in the presence of God. Yet, this is the easiest time to give away to other things. Everything in this world is competing for our attention, and there is a billion-dollar advertising industry built on distracting you. Their very purpose is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that they can sell you the solution. We allow our prayer time to get cut short by social media or streaming. We cannot sit down and engage in scripture because we must read about the latest celebrity gossip. We miss church for travel ball, dance competitions, or a myriad of other things.
All of these things that may make us laugh or that we may even enjoy will never bring us true joy outside of God’s presence in our lives. When we prioritize spending time with God, and protect it, true joy fills our lives.
For Prayerful Consideration:
- When is the last time you wasted some time with God?
- Take a prayer walk today, no phone, no distractions. You and God walk around your block talking.