A Five Minute Devotional
The video shown below is the devotional from October 8th, 2020. The full text of the devotional follows the video.
WELCOME
Hello, my name is Ruth. And I want to welcome you to TODAY’S GOOD NEWS- Ladies edition.
INTRODUCTION
Today we are going to be looking at the Fruit of the Spirit…Joy.
Do you want more joy in your life? Do you want the kind of joy that runs deep? Do you want the kind of joy that lasts even when trials and struggles come your way? Do you want the kind of joy children sing about in Sunday School?
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart,
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart,
Down in my heart to stay.
And I’m so happy,
So very happy;
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
And I’m so happy,
So very happy,
I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.
I have 3 suggestions for you, ladies. And I guarantee you that if you put these three in their proper order, you will have more joy.
JESUS
Jesus. We were made for relationship and fellowship with God. We were created in His image to enjoy intimacy and closeness with Him. All of our joy, all of our peace, and all of our being finds fullness and satisfaction in relationship with God.
Put God first in your life. Start and end your days with praise and worship. Spend time in prayer and the Word.
You will find that Jesus is all you ever need. There is no replacement for the beauty and contentment found in the Lord…not even the excitement that comes our way when He blesses us.
We must deliberately determine to put Jesus first in all things. It is a decision of the mind and heart. We must begin to see the Lord Jesus the way He really is “the way, the truth and the life” who is the only way to God in heaven.
Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
OTHERS
Others. After we have come to recognize the significance of putting Jesus first, we must reach out to others. We must serve others in Jesus’ name. These people are our families, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. They are also the clerks at the grocery store or at the gas station. They are the person who cuts in front of us in line or honks at us when we drive slow. They are that homeless person. They are widows and children who barely have enough to get by.
Remember the story of the Good Samaritan. It is about a traveller who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. First a Jewish priest and then a Levite comes by, both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan who was hated by the Jews happens upon the traveller and helps the injured man. So, the moral of this story is that everyone, even those normally considered our enemies, are in fact our neighbors.
YOURSELF
Yourself. Yes, ladies, we come last, after the Lord and our families and our neighbors. This is not to say that we should be doormats or run ourselves ragged to serve. We must take care of ourselves. We must eat healthy, drink plenty of water, exercise, get enough sleep and do fun stuff! We are no good to others if we are emotionally or physically exhausted or sick.
In Matthew 22, verses 37 through 40, Jesus answers the question, “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest commandment.
The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
And that, ladies is today’s Good News.
