Check out all the previous Joy Reading Plan readings here.
Joy Reading Plan | Day 1
Prayer
Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Thank God for time to spend with Him and ask Him to give you joy in His presence.
Bible Reading: Psalm 16
Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Reflection & Questions
This week in our readings we will be looking at the theme of “joy” and how important it is to the Christian life. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness is based on circumstances and can easily be lost. Joy is deeper and it is grounded not in circumstances, but in who God is and His love for us. It is important that we realize that joy is a feeling. Some will try to make the Christian life one of facts not feelings. However, as we will see this week, joy is very much a key part of our life in Jesus. He wants us to have joy in Him.
Today’s Psalm ends with the lines: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Where is joy found? In the presence of God. How long will this kind of joy last? Eternally.
There are many things competing for our time and attention. Many things will promise us happiness. Some will even provide it temporarily. But if we want true joy, it’s found in God. And the psalmist makes it clear that He has made finding joy in God his life’s mission. He “takes refuge” in God; he rejects other gods that others “run after”; and he has made God alone his “portion.” He declares in this psalm that as he is building his life with God at the center, he is finding safety, delight, counsel, instruction, confidence, and knowledge in the presence of God. All of those add up to JOY.
- Where are you looking for joy in your life? Do you make spending time in God’s presence a priority? Why or why not?
- How would you counsel a Christian who is struggling to experience joy?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to the reading today.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
