Terry M. Buster, Sr.

Understanding Alexander

August 11, 2018 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

I’ve had one of those weeks like Alexander. I’m not talking about Alexander the Great who wept because he achieved all his dreams as a young man. No, I’m talking about Judith Viorst’s Alexander. You remember him, don’t you? He’s the protagonist in her children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I highly recommend a copy for adults as well as children. As a matter of fact, adults need it more than most children I know.

Anyway, I’m having an Alexander week. A few weeks ago I came down with an allergy related laryngitis. My doc gave me a shot, some pills, and told me not to talk for the rest of the week. (A major difficulty for me personally and professionally.) I was able to squeak through the following Sunday’s sermon and would have been okay with being silent for another week, expect that we had 9 grandchildren visiting that next week. There were too many stories to tell, St Louis Cardinals games to watch, and games to play to keep silent. I wouldn’t trade that week and the talking I got to do even if you promised me a James Earl Jones voice.

Sooo, they headed home to Oklahoma on Tuesday and are already missed. (Cardinals games aren’t quite the same.) My voice is still quite squeaky and its been three weeks, so I’m endeavoring to be as silent as possible. In other words…..No Talky.

Wednesday morning rolled around and as I was cleaning my glasses, the frame broke. I knew the frame was cracked and I needed to replace them soon, but I was waiting until company was gone. They are broken in such a way that super glue and duct tape won’t work. I’m juggling between my reading glasses (seeing up close) and sunglasses (seeing at distances of 3 feet and beyond). It is especially comical when I sit in my easy chair at night and watch TV wearing my sunglasses. In other words…..No See-y.

Soooooooooo, Thursday my gout started acting up and was pretty severe on Friday. Fortunately, my doc called in a prescription to ease the pain and reduce the swelling. The past few days I’ve been hobbling around like Festus or Grampaw McCoy. (Both of whom are almost as stylish as Sue and I.) Baby Boomers and those older know of whom I’m speaking. Millenials, you can Google to catch up. But I digress. In other words……No Walky.

No Walky, No Talky, No See-y. What a week.

I could roll up in a ball and have quite the pity party like my good friend Alexander. Of course that means I’d have to isolate myself from the rest of the world. I’d have to ignore everyone else’s circumstances with the desire that they focus on me and feel sorry for me. The problem with that plan of action is that my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week really isn’t that bad.

This week one of our sons stood by the side of a friend and his family when one of their young family members went not through one, but two brain surgeries. A friend of ours texted to tell Sue & I that her grandfather had a stroke the other day. Wild fires in California are driving people from their homes and they are losing everything as I type this blog. I could go on, but you know what I mean. The things I mentioned about my week are not good things. I was in severe pain. My throat does hurt and talking is an occupational necessity for most preachers. There is great frustration in switching glasses back and forth and night time is just plain weird. Oh yeah, new glasses are not cheap.

I could look beyond myself to others who are having worse times than myself finding some comfort, but I won’t find peace. Genuine peace is not found in my circumstances, but in my Savior. On more than one occasion, Jesus noted that we will endure hardship, pain, and suffering. At times, these situations come because some hate the Gospel and go after God’s people. On every occasion, the pain we experience comes because we live in a fallen world. Jesus came to show us that we can overcome sin’s effect. That doesn’t mean we will never experience pain or sorrow or suffering in this world. It means that we can have the peace that passes all understanding if we have Him. We can know these things are temporary. One day, those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior will live in a new heaven and a new earth where all will be as it is supposed to be. We can know that we are neither alone nor neglected when we endure the hardships of life because Jesus has promised to be with us in every moment of life. Beyond this, we know that we have a Savior who knows what its like to hurt, to have friends walk away, to be misunderstood, to experience not the only the pain of losing a loved one to death, but to experience death itself. We have a Savior who provides us with brothers and sisters in Christ to walk with us and share both our joys and sorrows. They lift us up when we are down and give us the opportunity to lift them up when they are down.

No talky ….. Its hard, but I have enough voice and will be able to preach tomorrow. For the rest of the week, I have a notepad and sharpie. I can communicate.

No walky ….. Truth is, I’m already feeling better. Beyond that, I have a friend in church who deals with gout from time to time. He will tease me mercilessly, but he also commiserates and understands my pain. I also have my late father-in-law’s cane to help me walk and a stool to sit on while I preach if needs be.

No see-y …. This is kind of an overstatement. I can see. I can read. Its frustrating, but only that. In a week or so, I’ll have my new glasses.

All these are temporary, but Jesus isn’t. He’s my forever Savior, Lord, and Friend. He’s given me the gift of family, church, and life. He gives me not only the strength to endure, but joy and peace to overcome and thrive. As the hymn writer wrote, “Hallelujah! What a Savior”.

PS!!

While there were frustrating moments, this was a good week. My identification with Alexander was more ‘tongue in cheek’ than anything else.

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A Prayer for Our Land

August 7, 2018 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

Heavenly Father,

You are the God of all blessing and giver of every good thing. We are amazed at the grandeur of Your greatness and the intimacy of Your love.

As Your people, we have a wonderful heritage of faith. In Your Bible we read of Prophets, Priests, Kings, Disciples, Apostles, and Beloved Saints whose faithfulness and courage stir our hearts. Our spiritual history speaks of men and women who carried the Gospel throughout the world and are doing so to this day. In our land we are blessed with the freedom to exercise our faith and to share Jesus with everyone. We give thanks for those who secured this precious liberty.

We are blessed to live in this land of freedom, education, health, clean water, bountiful crops, and comforts that would astound even the greatest rulers of centuries gone by. We know that billions in the world today do know know or enjoy what we have. We confess that our status is a matter of grace, not merit. Help us to never lose sight of this.

When we survey our culture, our hearts grow weary. Lord, as a nation we have fallen into the pit of self-seeking pleasures neglecting the unalterable truth of Your Word. In increasing measure, our vision is limited to ourselves and our desires. We have forsaken the way of the Cross as we seek the way of the world. Our gods are many. We pursue wealth and the empty promise that we can secure our future. We seek the pleasures of the moment with little to no regard for the consequences of our actions.

Our homes are unstable. Your plan for one man and one woman in marriage raising one family as the foundation of society is crumbling before our very eyes. Human life holds little value when it conflicts with personal convenience.

You created us in Your image as men and women. Our sin has marred that image as we erect a modern day Tower of Babel declaring the foolish notion that we can create gender; we can create morals; we determine ethics; and that righteousness comes from our hearts not from You.

Father, we have fallen.

Our churches are in decline and have little impact on our communities. As the saying goes, the church is no longer in the world for the world is now in the church. The lines of distinction are blurring. Our effectiveness is waning. We are reaping what we have sown and the harvest will not be pleasing. We have no hope unless it comes from You.

Your Scripture makes it clear that it is not a matter of legislation nor judicial review nor executive order by which our land can be healed. Our hope is found in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

We beseech You to open our eyes that we might see ourselves and our culture as You see us. Open our ears that we will hear the cries of hopelessness across our society…..from those who have little as well as those who have much. Please soften our hearts to feel the despair of the age. This despair leads to so much anger in our society. We ask for faith so that we will not give in to this despair. Take away our anger and defensiveness. May the hope we have in Christ be the shining light of our lives.

Father, give Your church the humility to know and confess our sin before You. May we have the courage of conviction to repent of our worldly affections. May we seek Your Word, Your Way and Your purposes in all we do.

Give us patience and determination as we take Your Gospel to our land. If You see fit, send a great revival among Your people so that we might show Jesus to the world with our words, our attitudes, our deeds, and our love. Lord, all is in Your hands and we trust Your unfolding plans. Revive Your church so that the songs we sing of Heaven and eternity do not reflect a mere desire to escape the turmoil of our times. May the songs of our eternal destination become our motivation to share Jesus and live passionately and wisely in order to see souls saved for Your glory.

Amen

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Have Patience

May 4, 2017 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

Isn’t it interesting the things that stick with us through the years? The smell of the roast beef in the oven when we came home from morning services on Sundays. The faded ornaments that cause us to see those Christmas days when our children were young. Perhaps its the lyric of the song from our teen years (“Nah, nah, nah, na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, Hey Jude”) that remind us of cruising the streets, circling McGhees in Kennett, MO, with the windows rolled down singing at the top of our lungs with our friends on a Saturday night.

Sights. Songs. Smells. They open the flood gate of memories of days gone by.

One memory comes to my mind almost everytime I run across the word “patience” in my Bible reading and sermon preparation. It was years, well actually, decades ago. At FBC, Security-Widefield, CO, we were doing a children’s musical on the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). There was that turtle singing, “Have patience. Have patience. Don’t be in such a hurry. When you get impatient. You only start to worry. Remember. Remember, that God is patient too. And think of all the times that others had to wait on you.”

Every time I think of that song I hear that turtle singing ever—so—-sloooowly reminding us that God is patient with us and we are to be patient with each other.

Patience is one of the characteristics of God revealed throughout the Bible. God patiently and graciously works with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. God patiently waits for Noah to build the ark before He sends the rain. He calls on Abraham to patiently obey Him. As Abraham lifts up the knife to Isaac on the altar, God provides the substitute ram for the sacrifice. Second Peter 3:15 instructs us that God is patient in dealing with this sin-ravaged world because there are those who yet need to come to Christ for salvation.

We all know the need for patience in our lives as God works out His plans for us. There are many folks in my life today dealing with the circumstances of life waiting for God to intervene. People struggling with failing marriages, deteriorating health, cancer treatments, getting a job, starting a family, and a host of other situations. All waiting on God to open the door, fix the problem, guide us to His solution, give us strength, help us to be patient on His impeccable timing.

Its hard to be patient. We want things to happen now. In reality, we want God to fix it last week. Yet God calls us to patiently trust His work and His timing. His Word reminds us that He always comes through and when we wait patiently, faithfully on Him, that His good comes into our lives.

In the late 1700’s, William Cowper struggled all his life with ‘melancholy’ (depression). Yet in God’s magnificent providence, Cowper provided Christianity with some wonderful hymns of praise and instruction glorifying a patient God. “Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord Will Provide” is one such hymn.

“The saints should never be dismay’d.
Nor sink in hopeless fear;
For when they least expect his aid,
The Savior will appear.

This Abraham found, he rais’d the knife,
God saw, and said, ‘Forbear’
Yon ram shall yield his meaner life,
Behold the victim there.

When Jonah sunk beneath the wave
He thought to rise no more;
But God prepar’d a fish to save,
And bear him to the shore.

Blest proofs of pow’r and grace divine,
That meet us in his word!
May ev’ry deep-felt care of mine
Be trusted with the LORD.

Wait for his seasonable aid,
And tho’ it tarry wait:
The promise may be long delay’d,
But cannot come too late.”

I love that final stanza. Even though it seems to us that God’s rescue isn’t coming fast enough, it does come. And God is never surprised, caught off guard, or delayed. He knows our plight. He knows our need. He is never late. He is always on time.

“Have patience. Have patience. Don’t be in such a hurry. When you get impatient. You only start to worry. Remember. Remember, that God is patient too.”

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Celebrating God’s Blessings

April 19, 2017 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

I’m counting just some of my blessings today.

I had definitive test last week on an aneurysm the docs discovered when I had my stroke last September. Thankfully, it is small enough to simply follow without having to have brain surgery! That’s not to say that it might grow over time. Someday I might have to go through the procedure, but for now, all is well. I’ll have a CT scan in a year and if it has not grown, won’t have to go back for 5 years. There are no limitations on my activities whatsoever.

Blessings continue as the interim pastorate in Phil Campbell blossoms. Both Sue and I enjoy every minute with the church family and believe God has a bright future for His work in this body of believers. Its a thrill to be in the same pulpit week after week. Sue’s filling in for a Sunday School teacher who is having some health issues as well as playing piano for the pianist who is also having health issues. We enjoy going to Sr Adult luncheon, rest home services, and the Easter Egg hunt was a wonderful time of getting to know both members and prospects better. We just feel great going to and coming home from Phil Campbell. The psalmist proclaimed, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord!'” Its a grand blessing from God when you are just as glad heading home having been in the ‘house of the Lord’ with God’s people.

Added to these blessings is how much we love being in the Shoals/Northwest Alabama region. God’s call to a full time ministry tends to be a nomadic lifestyle. No matter how long (21 years in Palmyra, MO) or short (4 1/2 years in Fairview, OK) one’s tenure, its hard to think of yourself living at ‘home’. Its just the nature of the calling from God. Growing up a preacher’s kid, I know this reality very well. There are advantages and bonuses living/working in different parts of the country. But now, we feel like we are home. Granted, God may pick us up and move us far from here someday. But for now, we at peace and very settled in this part of Alabama.

Today, we are feeling exceptionally blessed by God.

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The Nature of Faith.

November 15, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

I wonder how often we as Christians live unhappy, joyless lives because we haven’t really paid attention to the Biblical nature of faith? Luke 8:22-25 tells the familiar story of the disciples’ fear when they were on a stormy sea with Jesus in the boat. As they crossed the sea, Jesus took a nap. A violent windstorm descended to the point that the boat was filling with water. Some in the boat were fishermen with life long experience on this sea. They had seen storms before and knew the danger they were facing. They had likely lost friends to a stormy sea and knew that this was a life threatening situation.

They woke Jesus and cried out, “Master, we are perishing.” In unequivocal language they expressed their fear and the expected the outcome of their situation. The story is clear. The boat was being swamped. Certainly they had tried everything within their expertise to alleviate their predicament. In spite of all their attempts, they were in genuine danger of dying.

Jesus woke up and put an end to the storm. He then looked to them saying, “Where is your faith?”

This statement not only stunned the disciples it caused them once again to be afraid. It is one thing to be afraid of nature, but something altogether different to stand in fear before God. Jesus’ question informs us that our faith should be such that we do not react in the manner of the world to unsettling times and events. Emotional reactions to circumstances (such as panic, terror, agitation, loss of self-control, anger, accusation, etc.) are for those who have no hope, no security, no faith. They are not for those who travel with Jesus in life’s journey.

The Nature of Faith

Faith is a gift of God, not a product of our willpower. Whatever else faith may or may not be, when we try to generate faith through personal determination and rationality, it is not Biblical faith. Remember Ephesians 2:8-9. We are saved by grace through faith and if we live with Jesus, we will live by grace through faith.

Faith is not merely a feeling. While it is certainly true that God created as emotional beings, we are more than a wad of emotions reacting to our world according to our feelings. Genuine faith encompasses our intellect, emotion, and commitment to walk with Christ according to His Word.

Faith is not something that happens automatically or magically. Sometimes we think that faith is supposed to just ‘appear’ when the crisis moment hits us. This false notion could be described as a faith ‘thermostat’ that kicks in without any decision or conscious thought when we need it. We are called to choose faith in all of life’s circumstances just as much as we are called to choose Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Faith is an activity. Faith has to be exercised, to be put into practice. When Jesus asked the disciples, “Where is your faith?” its as if He said to them, “Why are you in panic mode? Why are you not using the faith I’ve already given you and applying it to this situation?”

This is a difficult story and lesson for all of us. Jesus was serious when He asked the disciples about their lack of faith. In the midst of a perilous situation, He expected them to keep their heads and react with a peaceful spirit and the knowledge that all was and always is in His capable hands.

If Jesus expects, no demands, that we exercise peaceful faith in the midst of a life threatening storm, how much more does He expect us to be at peace in ordinary, everyday life? We need to learn and apply the lessons of faith. We need to know and live in the nature of faith. We need to grow in faith so that we can face the trials and tempests of this life in a manner that is distinctively different from the world’s reactions. We must live by faith in a manner which points to the power of our salvation life found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is your faith?

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Backing Into My Prayer Requests

November 12, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

THINK ABOUT THIS ONE: Asking God to do what He says He’ll do is part of Lord’s Prayer, right? Think about it. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors….Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” We know He will do these things. Don’t we need to begin our prayer request affirming by faith what we know He’s going to do?

Let me give you an example. While praying for the Lord’s guidance recently I caught myself attempting to ‘back into’ God’s leadership. In my prayer, I asked God to open the right door of opportunity in His time and in His way. Then I made a commitment to go through the door He opened up. I stopped right there and thought about what I’d just said.

I backed up and started over. I thanked God knowing that He would open the right door of opportunity in His time and in the manner of His choosing. What else would God do? After affirming the work I know He will do, I asked Him to give me patience to wait upon Him; discernment to see His guiding hand along the way; determination to continue serving Him daily; and a joyful peace in my journey.

I know my God. I know His concern and promise of provision for all of my life. My commitment to follow His leadership in my life needs to come up front. I don’t need to back into His plan for my life. My greatest faith comes when I commit to follow Him because I know He will lead me and to do so up front.

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I Get To Vote

November 7, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

I get to vote tomorrow. Regardless of the turmoil, vitriol, even lunacy of this election season, the bottom line is that I get to vote and I count it a privilege to do so. Beyond that, my vote counts. It doesn’t matter if the persons for whom I vote win or lose my vote will among the hundreds, thousands, even millions numbered and registered for offices ranging from County Commissioner to US Congress to US President. My vote counts.j

I get to vote tomorrow. Thousands have sacrificed much to give me this privileged responsibility. My family has a tradition of service to this nation through the military that goes back generations. I served in the Army and am honored that I gave time to serve this fine country.

I get to vote tomorrow. Its that simple. I get to vote.

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Freedom to Fly

November 4, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

This summer I had the privilege of travelling to Uganda on a mission trip. The journey itself was a new experience for me. I have flown before but never overseas nor for so long. Today I’ve been reflecting on some of the things I experienced in the aircraft. From 30,000 feet I saw the vast, Atlantic Ocean; the white, sandy desert of Northern Africa; beautiful mountains, hillsides, towns, villages, and cities in Great Britain, Canada, and the USA. I stayed warm in the cabin as the temperature outside the jet was -30. All this and more because engineers, assembly line workers, mechanics, pilots, air traffic controllers, and countless other people obeyed the laws of physics, aerodynamics, safety regulations, international treaties, and other laws I can’t even imagine.

This summer, I soared to heights that human beings couldn’t imagine possible for most of history. I travelled vast distances in a time span that would have staggered people when the Cubs won their previous World Series in 1908. I was free to travel and experience so much because laws were respected and obeyed.

When I read Isaiah 40:31 and pray to gain strength and “mount up with wings as eagles” I can only hope to do so because I know, love, respect, and live within the laws that my loving, gracious God has set before me. When I think of the freedom I have because of the Cross, I know that Jesus has set me free from the tyranny and restraint of sin. He has set me free and I can rejoice in all that God has given me by grace through faith as a redeemed, bond-slave of God.

In Christ, I have been set free to soar with Him as I love and live according to the law of grace and the mercy given by the glorious God Almighty.

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Love: Spreadsheet or Embrace?

July 29, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

While shopping a few months ago, I picked up a bouquet of flowers for Sue. When checking out, the clerk said, “Looks like someone did something wrong and is trying to get out of the doghouse.” Now I’m not saying I never bought Sue flowers to soothe over troubled times, but that was a long, long time ago. Truth be told, when I went into the store that day I saw the flowers and thought of Sue and how much she loves me and I love her.

I wonder how often that clerk had men come through the line buying flowers saying, “I hope this makes things better at home”? How many customers were looking to enhance the spreadsheet of their marriage by putting a plus in the credit line and by so doing, eliminate a debit for something done? I wonder if that clerk saw the bouquets going through her checkout line and wished that just once, she’d get flowers just because someone loved her? Just because of love. Not because it was Mother’s Day or her birthday or Valentines Day or because of last night’s fight. Just because.

When love becomes a spreadsheet we deal in credits and debits. We keep records of rights & wrongs. We seek to buy forgiveness, affection, or perhaps just hope for a temporary truce. It’s human nature to slip into this kind of reasoning. More to the point, it’s our fallen human nature that leads us to think and act this way.

Love is a gift God gives us. We know and experience love because God is love and we are made in His image (1 John 4:7-8; Genesis 1:27). A spreadsheet is the last thing love is…..this isn’t love as created by God at all. Spreadsheet love is a creation of fallen, sinful man. It will always fall short of God’s image in us. As a matter of fact, it is evidence that the image of God in us has been distorted and marred by sin.

God loved us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin (Romans 5:8). He gave His Son not because He did wrong, but because we did. The Father gave His Son because He loves us. Take a moment and meditate on this truth. God loves you and offers you more than a bouquet of flowers. He offers you His love. He reaches His eternal arms out to you so that you can know His love and find forgiveness forever in His embrace. The embrace of genuine love and eternal life.

Do you approach God with a spreadsheet mentality? Do you say, “I hope when I die I did enough good in this world to make it to heaven.” My friend, that won’t cut it. It’s not love. It’s a piece of paper with credits and debits. It’s a computer program that will ultimately crash and you will lose.

Reach out to God and receive the true embrace of love. Confess your sin and run to Love….run to God. His arms are open wide for you.

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God-Given Joy

May 23, 2016 by Terry M. Buster, Sr. Leave a Comment

“What do you have to smile about? How can you be so calm in the midst of crisis?”

Have you ever heard (or said) those words to someone when life seemed to be crashing in and yet she is so calm and offers an enigmatic grin? How can anyone have joy when the negative medical diagnosis is given, or the job loss occurs, or a friendship is fractured, or people are attacking for no good reason. Where can one find joy in the depths of crisis?

Rhoda was a woman of joy. Actually, she was a joy-filled servant girl. That’s the only thing the Bible tells us about Rhoda. Her story is found in Acts 12. She was a believer in the early church during hard times. James the Apostle, a leader of the church, had been executed by Herod. Peter was in jail and Herod intended to execute him as well. A lot of people in that day relished the idea of putting Christians to death. The church gathered to pray through this season of persecution. Unbeknownst to them, an angel orchestrated a prison break for Peter. Once freed, he went to the place of prayer and knocked on the gate hoping to get in and share his good news with the church. Rhoda went to the gate and God filled her heart with joy when she realized Peter was free.

She is so full of joy that she forgets to open the door and let Peter in! She is so full of joy she has to tell others right away. Even when the church folk tell her she has lost her mind and has only heard Peter’s ghost, she will not be deterred. After all, she’s filled with God-given joy! It is a joy that fills her heart, mind, and soul and gushes out. It is a joy that will not be diminished by common sense, worldly wisdom, or even Christian skeptics. It is God’s joy which will not be contained. She will not quench the Spirit nor let others cause her to doubt. This is the effect of God’s joy in the heart of His child.

You can’t explain it for it is so wonderful it puts a lightness in the heart that faces hard situations and gives way to a chuckle and grin. God’s joy befuddles others but to the recipient of joy, it is His assurance that He has been and will always be faithful to His child. For you see, God-given joy arrives through God-given hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

This joy brings confidence in God and what He is doing. It doesn’t really matter what man does. Herod had his plans. God had His plans. Guess whose plans prevailed? As a matter of fact, even as Herod executed James, God was in control and working things out to His glory and for the advancement of the Gospel. As the old hymn states, “He cannot fail. He must prevail. Have faith in God. Have faith in God.”

In the course of this past year, I have experienced this joy in increasing measure. As I stated, it is inexplicable. I’m not going to write down the details because they aren’t that important. What’s important is God’s faithfulness and the unexpected joy He gives by His grace and mercy. It is so powerful in the face of circumstances that I can’t help but smile. It can only come from God. His joy in my heart has given me courage, faith, and hope. God’s joy inexplicably flows out when things seem to be going downhill and He brings to mind how much grace He continues to pour out on my life. In His joy, I am reminded of His Son’s sacrifice for my salvation. He brings to mind of how He has cared for me and provided all my needs through the years. He reminds me that He has brought me this far for His purposes and He’s going to see me through this life and usher me in the next. He does this not because I am worthy, but because He is gracious.

I cannot explain this joy. I cannot manufacture His joy in my life. I can only receive it when He sends it and celebrate His merciful joy. His joy brings the assurance of hope, the blessing of peace, and the promise of His grace and mercy.

When God-given joy comes, I only want to praise Him. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).

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