Making lemonade

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “… it has become known throughout the imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ. Most of the brothers have gained confidence in the Lord from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the word fearlessly.” Philippians 1:13-14 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Making lemonade”
 
I’m certain Paul did not want to be in prison. There are probably a thousand other places he would rather have been. But he was in prison and there was nothing he could do about it. So rather than sit there sniffling and sniveling, whining about how unfair life is, he looked for the opportunity in the middle of the obstacle and he went to work to take advantage of it.
 
This reminds me of a young man I worked with some years ago as he tried to recover from a critical mistake and to get his life back on track. He is a fine young Christian man who made a brief mistake by getting caught up in the drug culture. He wasn’t in it for very long, just a couple of years, but it was enough to land him in jail. That’s where I first met him. But after months of visiting and talking, and then working with the Public Defender, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Court, we were able to get him court-ordered into a Bible-based long-term residential drug rehab program.
 
And he did great. He was a model participant. Before long he was serving as a mentor for other young men in the program. Once he completed the program he was asked to stay on as an intern, with the goal of one day becoming a full staff member. But then out of the blue, a Grand Jury indictment was handed down that related to a crime he had been involved in back in his drug days but which, because of a lengthy investigation that involved numerous other people as well, it took more than a year for the indictment to come out.
 
So even though he was doing so well, his past reared its ugly head, reached out and grabbed him. Soon he was back in court, and then back in jail. But like Paul, he refused to let his circumstances dictate his attitude. Life handed him lemons, so he was going to make some lemonade there in that county jail. First, he committed himself to serious personal discipleship. Then, once again, he was a model prisoner. And also once again, he served as a mentor to other prisoners and he assisted the jail staff in many ways. Long story short, he completed his jail time, went home, got a job, got married, had children, and he has lived a good life as a law-abiding citizen for many years since then.
 
 
In the case of both my young friend and with the Apostle Paul, their circumstances were what they were and there was little they could do to change them. So, they decided to use their circumstances to achieve good things. I know it’s a goofy illustration, but they were making lemonade out of lemons – and you can too. Whatever your difficult circumstances are, you and Jesus together can make lemonade out of those lemons.
 
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

We just have to deal with it

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Living with Joy”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel.” Philippians 1:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “We just have to deal with it”

This morning, I want to return us to our thinking from yesterday as we considered the important lesson Paul teaches in Philippians 1:12 regarding finding opportunity in our times of crises and difficulties. In 1:12 Paul begins to explain how it was that he was using his unfortunate circumstances to further his goals. Essentially, he was saying, “In life stuff happens. We just have to deal with it.”

One of the best books I’ve ever read which helped me to appreciate this important truth is John Maxwell’s “Failing Forward”. A crisis can come in many different forms. It can come as the result of sickness, or a natural disaster, or in the form of sudden unemployment, or for many other reasons. A crisis can be caused by many things but one of the most common sources is personal failure. We’ve made a mistake, or we have in some way failed, and that sparked a crisis in our life.

Maybe you were unfaithful to your spouse and the result was a divorce. Maybe you really screwed up at work and got yourself fired. Maybe you committed a crime and now you’re facing jail time. Personal failure is one of the most common causes of a crisis in life and for many people it becomes a crushing blow that they never fully recover from. But that is always unnecessary. There’s nothing that God can’t fix in our lives if we will bring it to Him. True, we failed. But we can fail forward. Our failure can be a stepping stone that makes us better and moves us forward.

The whole point of Maxwell’s book is that life is a constant series of failures. Success is built on failure, and most successful people have succeeded because they overcame their failures and they weren’t afraid to keep trying until they did. Successful people know that failure is an inevitable part of life – nobody gets it right all the time. But every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow so you can then get back at it and do better the next time.

Failure is just one form of crisis in life but it is probably the most common. In Paul’s case he was in prison for sharing his faith, but whatever the cause of the difficult circumstances you’re facing, the principle that applies is that obstacles can lead to opportunities. In the middle of your crisis, there may be an opportunity waiting to be taken advantage of.

In life stuff happens. But as bad as it might be, we can deal with it in a positive way that makes us better and leads us forward.

God bless,

Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Obstacles can lead to opportunities

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel.” Philippians 1:12 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Obstacles can lead to opportunities”
 
The Chinese language in its written form uses pictures as symbols. These pictures are usually an assortment of squiggly lines, straight lines, curved lines, and small circles. The drawings are intricate and complex and the same symbol often has multiple, and sometimes contrasting meanings. For instance, the symbol for the word “weiji,” which means crisis, carries within it the double mean of danger and opportunity.
 
That’s right – when you see that symbol it can be describing a crisis which includes danger, or an opportunity, or both. The reason is because many times, an opportunity appears in the middle of a moment of a crisis. So, the lesson is that in the middle of the crisis we need to be looking for the opportunity that may be there as well.
 
That’s exactly what the Apostle Paul models for us in Philippians 1:12. If you remember the context of the letter, Paul is an old man now who was coming to the end of approximately thirty years of very hard ministry. During those years he had no home, he had no income of his own during most of that time, and he was constantly hounded by his enemies. He was chased out of town after town, beaten up repeatedly, imprisoned on multiple occasions, subjected to harsh conditions such as intense cold, extreme heat, long periods without food or water, shipwrecks, and more.
 
Now here he sits in prison, again, an old man with a broken body, probably facing execution. But while he was there, rather than lamenting his miserable circumstances, he instead wrote this upbeat and encouraging letter to the Philippians which is all about joy in Christ.
 
In the first part of chapter one he began the letter by writing about his deep affection for the Philippian Christians. Now he moves into a passage where he writes about how he is using his adverse circumstances in a positive way to further his ultimate objective of sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ at every opportunity. What we learn from Paul’s example is that adversity can be the catalyst that moves us forward to achieve God’s will. For Paul, that was a cause for great joy.
 
No sane person looks for trouble or is happy when it comes. All of us would prefer to avoid crisis situations. But life happens. Trouble comes. Occasional pain and heartache are part of this package deal. The question isn’t if it will happen, but how we will handle it once it does happen. As we learn from Paul’s example, even in a crisis or problem situation there will be opportunities for us, if we will just look for them.
 
Are you looking for the opportunities present in your difficulties? And are you taking advantage of those opportunities? We’ll think more about this tomorrow.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Remembering my pastor

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.” 1 Samuel 12:23 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Remembering my pastor”
 
I hesitate to write this devotional message because being a pastor myself, it could seem self-serving. But it’s really not intended that way. Instead, it’s an effort on my part to remember and honor a man who the Lord used to have a tremendous positive influence in my life. His name was Oren Teel and he was my pastor.
 
Traditionally, the second Sunday in October is celebrated as “Pastor Appreciation Day.” It’s the day that congregations across the land recognize and honor their pastor for his service to them. It’s also the day each year when I pause to remember Oren and Louise Teel and to thank God for the way He used them in mine and Linda’s lives.
 
Oren was the man who baptized Linda and I. Oren and Louise were the ones who taught me how to be a pastor and Linda how to be a pastor’s wife. Beyond that, our own parents and families were all on the east coast and we were in California, so we seldom got to see them. Therefore, Oren and Louise essentially adopted us. I used to call Louise my west-coast mother.
 
Yesterday I mentioned how it is that every Friday I pray for the members of our congregation individually, by name (in the tradition of 1 Samuel 12:23). That’s a lesson I learned from Oren. It was also Oren and Louise who taught Linda and I that a church is a family and it should be characterized by love. Oren once told me, “Jim, just love the people. They will overlook mistakes, forgive bad preaching, and even put up with your ugly ties – as long as they know you love them.”
 
Many years ago, I constructed a statement which I believe captures the essence of the example Oren set for me and which has guided my thinking ever since regarding the nature of good and healthy church life. I wrote it down and have kept it in my Bible for decades. It reads, “We must think in terms of church family. The health of a family is not measured in numbers but in things like love, unity, good character traits, and maturity.”
 
Hilltop Baptist Church was not a big church but it was a good church – a healthy church. So is Oak Hill Baptist (which I am the pastor of today). In many respects, the two churches are very similar. Oren’s strong leadership and godly character were influential in that church all those years ago, and his influence is still making an impact in this church today through my ministry.
 
Oren was a good man who served the Lord and His people well for his entire adult life. Today I’m remembering my pastor.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Your maturity can be their joy

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Your maturity can be their joy”
 
Many years ago, I adopted the practice of praying for every church member every Friday. I open the church pictorial directory, I look at every person’s picture, and I pray for them by name. (I also pray for those whose pictures are not in the directory, as well as for attenders who are not yet members, and for recent visitors.) I believe it’s helpful and a blessing for them to be prayed for like that, but it’s also a source of joy for me to take that time to think more deeply about each one of them and to bring them individually before the Lord in prayer.
 
In Philippians 1:9-11, as Paul continues this letter about joy and the things that bring him joy, he writes about how he prays for the Philippian Christians. He writes that he prays that their love, knowledge of Christ, and their ability to use good discernment will keep growing. In the previous passage he told them how much joy it gave him to witness the depth of their spiritual maturity, and now he prays that they will continue to mature even more. That will give him even more joy. (I can relate. As the pastor, it brings me a lot of joy to witness people growing in their relationship with Christ.)
 
Paul also prayed that they would be pure, blameless, and righteous – people who honored God with their conduct. All of that is the outgrowth of a life that is fully committed to Christ. Being a person like that, and being associated with people like that, is a source of great joy.
 
Lastly, Paul prays that all of this will be to the glory and praise of God. In other words, the more the virtues of love, discernment, good character, and godly righteousness were achieved in the lives of the Philippians, the more of a testimony it would be to glory of God. And so that is exactly what Paul prayed for them. Not only would all of that bring joy to the heart of God, it would bring joy to the heart of Paul.
 
I think we often underestimate the extent to which our spiritual maturity impacts others. A spiritually mature person brings joy into the lives of other people. Your spiritual maturity is a good thing for you and for all those around you. I encourage you to be intentional and thoughtful today about making the joy of the Lord in your life a source of joy in someone else’s life too.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Spiritually mature Christians

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” Philippians 1:6-7 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Spiritually healthy Christians”
 
In the New Living Translation Ephesians 2:10 reads, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
 
You are God’s masterpiece. Not only did He create you and weave your together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13); and not only did He make you a new spiritual creation at the time you placed your faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17); but since then He has been in the process of molding and shaping you into the person He wants you to be (Philippians 1:6), and He will continue that molding and shaping right up until the moment you arrive in heaven.
 
That’s what Paul was referring to in Philippians 1:6-7. It’s what was happening in the lives of the Philippian Christians and it gave Paul great joy to see it. Over the years of visiting and corresponding with them Paul could see the progress they were making as individual Christians and as a church. This was a healthy church filled with spiritually healthy Christians and therefore God was accomplishing great things in them and through them. Beyond that, He would continue to do so. (This kind of stuff warms the heart of every pastor!)
 
Then in verse seven Paul tells them that they have given him good reason to think and feel this way about them. In other words, he wasn’t making this stuff up and he wasn’t blowing smoke by giving them false compliments. This was a statement of fact and he was just calling it what it was. This was Paul telling them that they’re on the right track doing the right things, and he was urging them to continue doing so.
 
Your spiritual growth is not only a source of joy for you, but it’s a source of joy for the preachers, teachers, and mentors who have built into your life and who have helped you in your spiritual growth. Spiritually healthy Christians make spiritually healthy churches and that is a thing of great joy. So, keep growing and we will all share in the joy of it!
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

The joy of good ministry partnerships

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3-5 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “The joy of good ministry partnerships”
 
For most of the rest of this month, as we focus on our theme of living with joy, we will be doing a deep-dive into Paul’s letter to the Philippian Christians. Philippians is known as “the letter of joy.” I’m also teaching through this letter on Wednesday nights at Oak Hill Baptist. I’m teaching a Bible study about it, and I’m writing devotional messages about it at the same time, because there’s such a need for an extra shot of joy in our world today. We live in a very troubled world. Also, here in the USA we’re going through yet another mean-spirited election cycle and the rhetoric is hot. Small wonder there seems to be so little joy out there these days. We all need a double-shot of joy, and Paul’s letter to the Philippians is exactly that.
 
In 1:5 (above) Paul notes yet another source of joy for him as he sat there in a prison cell. In addition to the joy he received from thinking about and praying for his good friends the Philippian Christians, their partnership in his ministry also brought him great joy. Good ministry partnerships do that – they’re a source of joy.
 
One of the reasons I so love the Acts 1:8 model of ministry that we employ at Oak Hill Baptist Church is because it has resulted in deep relationships with a wide variety of ministry partners. The Bread of Life Rescue Mission; The Lighthouse Christian Camp for disadvantaged children; New Beginnings Church in Hi Hat, KY; El Arca Children’s Home in the Amazon Jungle of Peru; Grace International Orphanage in Haiti; Liberty Baptist Church and Women’s Medical Clinic in Liberia, Africa; and the Gayhart Family who serve as Southern Baptist missionaries in Southeast Asia. They are all our ministry partners and they are each a source of joy for us.
 
We are a source of joy and encouragement for them, and they’re a source of joy and encouragement for us. We stay in touch with each other; we share news and words of encouragement; and we lift each other up. Also, sometimes we go to visit them, and sometimes they come to visit us. These are deep and rich ministry partnerships that have been intentionally and carefully developed and nurtured over many years, and those partnerships are a source of great joy for all of us.
 
I encourage you to be involved in good ministry partnerships in your own church, in your community, and with partners in places further away. You will be a source of joy for them, and they will be a source of joy for you. 
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Remember them well

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer …” Philippians 1:3-4 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Remember them well”
 
I love the way Paul opens this letter of joy that he writes to his friends in the church in Philippi. This is Paul, wearing his pastor hat, expressing his heart for people he cared about very much. So, as he begins this epistle of joy, this letter that is all about joy in Christ, he’s being very transparent and revealing his heart for his people. This right here – the way he felt about these people, what he thought about them and how he prayed for them, was a cause of great joy for Paul. (I can relate. I feel this way about the people of Oak Hill Baptist.)
 
Paul was thankful that God had put the Philippians in his life. He says that he thanks God for every remembrance of them. He was grateful that God kept bringing them to his mind and every time he thought of them, it brought him joy. Paul was clearly grateful that God had made them a part of his life.
 
I think this is a crucial attitude for us to maintain as we think about people. We should be thankful for them and we should pray for them. Too often we forget about people altogether (out of sight out of mind), or we focus on the negative instead of the positive. Sadly, sometimes our thoughts about people lean towards what we don’t like about them, or how they annoy us, or ways in which they have failed or don’t measure up. That’s a guaranteed joy-stealer. Thoughts like that will not only cause us to think poorly of them, but thinking like that will also produce an overall sour disposition in us. The Philippians weren’t perfect, but they were good and Paul chose to think well of them.  
 
If we chose to think in positive ways about people; if we remember all that is good and right about them; if we give thanks to God for them in prayer; and if we do it a lot; not only will that change our thinking about them, but it will go a long way towards improving our overall attitude in general. We will be someone whose thoughts are positive and gracious.   
 
So, as he begins this letter about joy in Christ, one of the things that gave Paul great joy, and which created in him a sense of thanksgiving, is the fact that God had made the Philippian Christians a part of his life.
 
I encourage to look for the good in people and to then pray for them. Negativity is a guaranteed joy-stealer. Positivity is a source of joy. So, remember them well.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Discovering joy in the middle of it all

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:2 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Discovering joy in the middle of it all”
 
We cannot consider the theme of living with joy without doing a deep dive into the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Philippians is known as “the epistle of joy.” Epistle is an old-fashioned word for “letter” and so Philippians can also be described as Paul’s letter of joy. Of all the books in the New Testament, Philippians is my second favorite. The Gospel of John is my favorite but Philippians is a close second. This letter of joy is just so joyful!
 
We can tell what Paul has in store for us just from verse two of chapter one. He wants us to experience God’s grace and peace in increased measure despite our circumstances (Paul wrote this letter as a sick old man sitting in a Roman prison and probably close to death.) The primary lesson Paul will teach us in Philippians is that God brings grace and peace in the middle of trials and struggles.
 
That’s the great truth for life as a Christian. There are plenty of times when the sun is shining and the birds are singing – we are safe, secure, happy, and the future looks good. During times like that we get to experience joy and peace. But life isn’t always like that. There are also lots of times when we struggle through difficult circumstances and painful situations. But joy can also be discovered, experienced, and appreciated during times of sorrow and struggle too.
 
For instance, at a funeral we have great sorrow because our loved one is gone, but we can also have joy in knowing that the person is in heaven. During a time of sickness, even while lying in a hospital bed, we can be struggling with the pain, discomfort, and uncertainty of the sickness, but we can also have an overwhelming awareness of God’s presence there with us. We can experience the joy of close fellowship with Him as we’re going through that. During a time of unexpected unemployment, as we’re trying to make ends meet and we’re wondering how we’re going to pay the rent, we can also learn the truth that God is the God of all provision and we can experience joy as He comes through for us time and time again.
 
True joy runs deep and flows from the confident assurance that we are never out of God’s loving embrace or His sovereign control. Regardless of your current situation in life you can find true joy in Christ. That’s the message of Philippians. It’s about discovering joy in the middle of it all.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

The joy of the Lord is your strength

Good morning everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (CSB)
 
Our thought for today: “The joy of the Lord makes us strong”
 
Nehemiah was a civil servant and a leader among the people. At the time of Nehemiah chapter eight, he was in the destroyed city of Jerusalem attempting to lead a small group of Jews who had returned to rebuild the temple, the city, and the walls around the city. Ezra the priest was there assisting him. All of it was good, but none of it was returning the temple or the city to the splendor of the days of Solomon.
 
In chapter eight Nehemiah and Ezra had the people gathered for a day of worship and study from the Law of God, and for feasting and celebration. But as the people surveyed the rubble that still existed in much of the city, and they considered the rebuilt temple that was so much less than the Temple in Solomon’s day, and as they listened to the reading of the Law of God and they realized how disobedient the entire nation had been, they grieved. So, in 8:10 Nehemiah told them to knock that off, to be thankful for what the Lord had blessed them with, and to give thanks, celebrate, and draw strength from the joy of the Lord.
 
There’s a lesson in that for us. The joy of the Lord is based on the internal condition of our heart and not on the external circumstances we find ourselves in. It doesn’t come from outside circumstances and work its way in (that’s happiness, which is temporary and fleeting). Instead, it comes from the Holy Spirit living in our heart. That joy then works its way up and flows out of us to impact our circumstances. Let me say it again: the joy of the Lord doesn’t come from the outside and work its way in, it comes from the inside and works its way out. It’s an inside job not an outside one.
 
Please don’t allow your circumstances to have the final say on the condition of your heart. Don’t allow them to beat you down, destroy you, or to be the determining factor regarding how you think and how much you enjoy life.
 
The joy of the Lord in our heart makes us strong so we can deal effectively with the circumstances of life.
 
God bless,
Pastor Jim    
 
(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
 
 
Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571