Joy-Getting

Dec 13

This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand...that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand. (1Sam 17:46-47)

The LORD your God will save you. He has saved you, right? And "not with sword and spear" but by the blood of King Jesus.

God defeats the Philistines with: a) a young, untested, shepherd, b) slingshot technology, and c) fear in the hearts of the Philistines. At the end of v. 51 the Philistines are defeated: "When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled."

So what should the Israelites do? Start celebrating? Yes. Turn around and head home? No. But rather, what God delivered, go receive: "And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines." (1Sa 17:52)

God saves without swords and spears. He saves as a gift; it's all grace. So receive it. How? Receive it with your sword and spear. The victory God gave Israel over the Philistines was RECEIVED by the Israelites rising up and pursuing the Philistines.

God has saved us by Jesus. Salvation is done: "it is finished." And God has given this to us as a free gift. All we do is receive it.

So receive it, already! Don't turn, head home, put your feet up and binge watch Philistine-blooper vids. Take up the pointy-tipped "means of grace." These are things which God has ordained to be the channels by which His saving-grace gets delivered to the nooks and crannies of our lives.

Embrace disciplines! Build habits! Eat your greens! Do your daily march!

Take the swords and spears of grace and receive into your hands the Lord's victory-gift. It's all grace. Grace must be received.

God has done everything that needs to be done, don't mistake my meaning. But in God's kindness He shares this joy with us: that we might enter, now that salvation is accomplished, the application of that salvation to our lives and worlds. God's great joy is being glorified for what Christ has done. He invites us to share His joy by reveling ourselves in what Christ has done. Get this joy, God's joy. Get to know your Spirit-given swords and spears. Introduce them to the Philistine-presences in your heart and mind.

Featured

Apr 2, 2025

When the Gospel-WHY changes our HOW, this will transform WHAT we do.

Apr 2, 2025

How to Start Your Day Right: Silence the Wicked!

Aug 23, 2023

Psalm 101 is mostly affirmations, self-talk taken right off the best of the web’s “best practices for great mornings” articles.

Aug 23, 2023

Feb 9, 2022

What has Paul been doing in Galatia? He’s been engaged in the spiritually exhausting, emotionally demanding, mentally taxing work of introducing sinners to Jesus and trying his best to make sure they understand who Jesus is and what He did and what that now means for them. It’s labor, he says, toil, struggle; it’s hard work.

Feb 9, 2022

Feb 2, 2022

I’ve been reflecting on the Bible’s historicity. That is the question of whether the story of the Bible is meant to be read as existing within the same universe, the same timeline, on the same planet, having the same sorts of people, as our lives. The answer, of course, is yes: The Bible is clearly, thickly, meant to be read as historical. All measures of historicity verify this.

Feb 2, 2022

Jan 26, 2022

Psalm 112 describes a man whose "righteousness endures forever." In ten verses there are three references to how "his righteousness endures forever... he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever." (3, 6, 9)

Jan 26, 2022

Jan 12, 2022

Last week’s devotional (“Good is Perfect”) captured was has been such a helpful truth for me through the years. And it’s one that puts us on a much more biblical, practical, realistic, foundation for life with God. See, God didn’t design us to be perfect, He designed us to be useful, “good” for His purposes. The question isn’t, “How can I be a better me this year?” It’s, “How can I be of more use to my Lord?”

Jan 12, 2022

Jan 5, 2022

When the Bible uses the word “perfect” it means “good.” And this is a more useful standard for us to employ.

Jan 5, 2022

Dec 29, 2021

As a Bible Church, we believe it is important for us to read God's Word.
It is one of those simple, non-spectacular, habits--along with prayer and church attendance--that accounts for so much of our spiritual health or unhealth. No one who neglects these habits will be spiritually healthy. Anyone who invests in them will get healthier.

Dec 29, 2021

Dec 16, 2021

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1Co 15:1-2)

Dec 16, 2021

Dec 1, 2021

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch... that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit....4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Joh 15:1-5)

Dec 1, 2021

JessicaG

I'm a small-town Wisconsin photographer, digital strategist, motorbike aficionado, and expert silly face maker. Obsessed with: gadgets, my 8yo niece, and all furry, four-legged creatures.

Most days, you'll find me in flip flops, working from the hammock with a smile on my face and a cat called Noodle in my lap. My bags are always packed for my next two-wheel adventure, because you just never know when an opportunity might arise.

My photography style? It's real and authentic. I'll do just about anything to make you laugh, and focus on those precious, candid moments that naturally occur when fun is being had.

Years from now, I want you to look at your photographs and have all of those memores come flooding back. The innocence of your littles when they are just a few weeks old, the vibrant smiles of your toddler when they got to dig into an entire cake all by themselves, the family portrait of your whole family together before your babies went off to college...you'll almost be able to relive those magical moments all over again.

That's why I do what I do. To capture the moments - the stories - of your life so you can relive them whenever you need a smile.

http://www.sapphiregreenphotography.com

Joy-Getting

Rebuked, Rebuker

Awesomesauce