Monday, August 24, 2009

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Real Rejoicing!

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Throughout the summer months, when our church choir does not meet, our Creative Expressions team encourages our church kids to present the anthem during worship on Sunday mornings. The leader of our ministry team, Cynthia, and Joe our choir director, take time out from their own busy schedules to rehearse the songs that our church kids will sing.

Sometimes the kids sing solo; on other occasions they present duets, trios, and ensembles to the Lord. They even do dance routines, taught by one of our moms, for their songs. The kids are as young as first graders and as ‘old’ as Middle Schoolers. It’s wonderful to watch them confidently and enthusiastically sing for the Lord. Their joy in church becomes a great boost to the whole congregation and we rejoice along with them. We feel truly blessed to have such dedicated leaders and creative kids.

Rejoicing is an important part of any church’s worship life. When we joyfully praise God, we do two things: firstly, we express our love to God, and secondly, we attract other people to worship Christ. It’s a wonderful way of living out our faith and sharing our beliefs.

As our church kids grow up, we hope that they will remember their joyful experiences in church, so that when they become adults they will have a solid foundation for their faith. We may never see the full extent of God’s work in their lives, but we will continue to rejoice with them, so long as we are all here.

Today, let’s look for moments of rejoicing in the Lord. Let’s seek out those precious times when we can joyfully and effectively share our faith in Christ. And as we rejoice in Jesus, let’s also pray that others will be attracted to our Savior and His church.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we rejoice in You, for You are the One Great Love and Hope in our lives. Help us to make this day a time of faithful rejoicing in our work, at our homes, and amongst our friends. In Your Most Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

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