His Heart, My Home

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!“

I can almost hear that song right now, starting to play in my head. Yeah, I know, that’s a Christmas favorite, and it’s not even Thanksgiving Day yet. Christmas is still a month away! But it just seems right because…well, because it’s true. It is the most wonderful time of the year!

Admittedly, I “see things differently” now than I did a few years ago. As I’ve gotten older, my physical sight has changed… bifocals! But spiritually? I’ve become more and more eagle-eyed!

I can see clearly now that the celebration of God’s generosity that we call Thanksgiving is only the opening act for Christmas, the celebration of the greatest Gift the Giver has ever given mankind, His Son, Jesus. It’s no coincidence where the two holidays fall on our calendars.

I think that’s why for the last several years Grace and I have endeavored to have our house fully decorated for Christmas by Thanksgiving Day.

We’ve just blended the two holidays into a continuous, month-long celebration of God’s goodness and loving-kindness. Why have two regular holidays when we can roll them together into one “super-mega-deluxe-over-the-top-pull-out-all-the-stops HOLIDAY”?

So all of our posts, from now until Christmas, (maybe even all the way to New Year’s Day) will be focused on God’s glorious gifts, and our genuine gratitude. We hope you’ll enjoy them.

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The holiday season is here. Thanksgiving and Christmas, shared with those we love, reflecting on God’s blessing through the year, and thanking Him for the love, joy, and peace we have found in Jesus, the Giver of Life. We are encouraged to enjoy the blessings of the holidays as a part of God’s perfect plan for us.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Passion Translation)
¹⁶ “Let joy be your continual feast. ¹⁷ Make your life a prayer. ¹⁸ And in the midst of everything, be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.“

A Continual Feast at God’s Banquet Table

Joy is to be our “continual feast”, a constant source of nourishment and strength to our soul.

But joy can be a scarce commodity these days, especially during the frantic hustle and bustle of the holidays.

And unfortunately, many people struggle with loneliness and depression during the holidays. Instead of a love-feast, they are starving for love, and the joy it brings. Let’s help change that!

First, always keep this in mind: We are not seeking mere happiness. Happiness and joy are completely different from each other.

Happiness is superficial. Happiness is only temporary at best, and can come and go, based on our circumstances and feelings of the moment.

Joy is not based on our feelings, nor is it a by-product of the events that occur in our lives.

Joy has its roots in the very heart, character, and nature of God.

Joy is the fruit of God’s Spirit, the continual yield of the seed of His Word, transplanted into the soil of our hearts! (Galatians 5:22)

God invites us to His banquet table. There, we feast on the sweet fruit of joy, and experience the supernatural strength it imparts.

The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength

In the year 444 B.C., a Jewish leader named Nehemiah led a rag-tag group of refugees out of Babylonian captivity, back to Jerusalem, with the goal of rebuilding the city, the epicenter of the Jewish nation.

After their arrival, the people began their massive reconstruction project. They worked for fifty-two straight days to accomplish the task of rebuilding the city walls.

Because they were surrounded by vicious enemies, they worked in shifts, 24/7, around the clock, with construction tools in one hand, and their weapons in the other.

Finally, the city walls were completed, but the houses inside were still just rubble, piles of broken and burned stones, needing to be rebuilt. Exhausted, stressed out, and fearful; there were no positive circumstances in the natural realm to generate joy in their lives.

They desperately needed to tap into the super- natural strength of Jehovah. But how? The Bible tells us that Ezra, a scribe under the leadership of Nehemiah, called the people together and read the Word of God to them.

As the reading concluded, Nehemiah and Ezra said, ” Go your way and prepare a feast. Bring out the best food and drink you have, and welcome all to your table, especially those who have nothing. This day is special. It is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve over your past mistakes.  Let the Eternal’s own joy be your strength.”
(Nehemiah 8:10, The Voice Translation)

Their busyness and physical weariness had exhausted their supply of joy, and therefore their strength was also depleted. There was still much work ahead and fierce enemies to be faced. What could they do? Get in celebration mode and RE-JOICE!

In Nehemiah 8:12, we read that the people began to “rejoice greatly.”

Notice that very important word… REJOICE!

The Hebrew word translated as “rejoice” is the word “simchah”, which of course means “joy; mirth; and gladness.” But as we dig deeper, we discover that the root of this word also means, “erasure”.

A key element for us to experience the joy of the Lord is for us to live fully in the present moment.

Rejoicing erases (at least temporarily) any painful thoughts of the past, or anxious thoughts about the future.

Joy focuses our minds and hearts, not on the circumstances of the moment, but on the One who is eternally present to uplift, bless, and strengthen us, the Great I AM! We then draw new strength from Him, as we rejoice.

The weary construction workers had just heard God’s Word which said, “His mercy endures forever!” And they realized that despite the sin that had led to the destruction of their nation and their seventy year captivity, God had not, (past erased) and would never, (negative future erased) completely leave nor forsake them as His covenant people.

All their fears and anxieties were ERASED by the power of joy!

So, after receiving the Word, they began to RE-JOICE! They began to refill themselves with joy, and as they did, they were recharged, refilled, refreshed, replenished, restocked, and resupplied with God’s supernatural strength!

God’s Word – A Fountain of Joy!

There’s a life-lesson for us here: Regardless of how difficult our circumstances may be, we can receive the strength we need to overcome, as we rejoice with grateful hearts, thanking the Lord for His goodness, mercy, and grace.

God’s unfailing strength is available to us through His Word, every day, especially through the holidays. God’s Word brings us joy, and that joy is our strength. We are revived, reinvigorated and re-energized by that Word-inspired joy!

When we rejoice we refill our souls from the Source, from the fountain of God’s joy!

God has never been depressed. He has never surrendered to despair. In fact, the opposite is true. He laughs at His enemies. His joy is constant and it is always triumphant.
(Psalm 2:4 and Psalm 37:13)

Our joy, supplied directly by Holy Spirit, is to be continual! Rejoice! Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Continually Giving Thanks

Before we close, let’s look at our foundational scripture passage once more:

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Passion Translation)
¹⁶ “Let joy be your continual feast. ¹⁷ Make your life a prayer. ¹⁸ And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.“

We are encouraged to “make our lives a prayer” and to “be always giving thanks.”

Prayer is simply being aware of God’s presence and communicating with Him. We talk, He listens. He talks, we listen. Prayer is just an ongoing conversation with Him.

Prayer reminds us of His presence, so we think of Him as we converse with Him, moment-by-moment, throughout our day.

It keeps us connected to the One who is the very source of our life. Our life becomes a prayer.

Every breath is a gift from Him. Every moment is a priceless treasure, given from His heart to ours.

When we think about Him like this, we will always be thankful.

Let’s start our season of joyful thanksgiving with this simple personal prayer. We encourage you to pray this daily:

Heavenly Father, with a humble heart, I come before you today, overflowing with gratitude for the precious gift of life you have bestowed upon me. I thank you for the breath that fills my lungs, for the beating of my heart, and for the intricate working of my body.

In every sunrise that graces the horizon, and every sunset that paints the sky, I see your handiwork, and I marvel at your infinite creativity.

Lord, I acknowledge that life is a precious and fragile gift, not to be taken for granted. Help me to cherish each moment, to embrace your will, and to live with your purposes guiding my heart.

Help me to find joy in the simplest blessings of life and to always express my heart-felt gratitude to you.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!