Rejoice
OPENING PRAYER:
Father, thank you for allowing us to approach your throne today.
“Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations, I will sing the praises of your name.” 2 Samuel 22:50
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11
Luke 2:13-14 – “Suddenly, there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors.” Luke 2:13-14
REFLECT:
A lot of important verses start with “Therefore.” It signals that we need to go back and read for context.
The verse in 2 Samuel that starts that way comes at the end of 50 verses written by David, thanking God for his faithfulness and for keeping his promises in different ways and situations.
How long is your list of things to thank and praise God for?
APPLY:
Jesus came to earth to bring his indescribable joy with him. This joy resides deep in our hearts and is the reason we sing “Joy to the World!”
Christmas carols are a favorite tradition of many. What a joy it is to sing out loud and lift our voices to express the joy that we feel this season!
As we get closer and closer to Christmas Day, we must continue to spend time reflecting on our list of reasons to thank and praise God. This will cause us to rejoice just like the heavenly host.
What can you do to declare his glory and his peace today?
CLOSING PRAYER:
God, thank you for so much. Help us focus our hearts on the things you’ve done and who you are and remind us of how many reasons we have to rejoice and proclaim your glory and peace!
CONTINUED READING:
Matthew 7:1-5, Psalm 139:23-24