Journey to the Cross

Pause

The Spirit of Christ is already within you:

forgiving, healing,

redeeming, loving.

The God of our salvation is here.

Listen

Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways. They suffered because of their wickedness. They had absolutely no appetite for food; they had arrived at death’s gates. So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God saved them from their desperate circumstances. God gave the order and healed them; he rescued them from their pit. Let them thank the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all people. Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices and declare what God has done in songs of joy!

Psalm 107:17-22

Think

We learn a lot from the people who are close to us. The messages are often subtle. Sometimes we don’t even realize we’re learning. I’ve been married for almost six years, and I knew the woman who became my wife for about six years before that. I think I learn from her every day, lessons both simple and complex.

The one I learned first was the easiest to see, but it’s still the hardest for me to master: Follow the joy.

If she’s wondering about where God is calling her … If she’s trying to care for herself during a busy week … If she’s taking a quick break from the task she’s working on …

… “follow the joy” is her strength and her song.

Let it be so for each of us.

To find God in your daily life … To “offer a thanksgiving sacrifice” … To share the love of Christ with those around you …

… follow the joy.

Kyle Matthew Oliver

Pray

God of mercy, surprise me each day with a moment of joy. Help me to sing your praise by offering others the light and life you give to me. Amen.

Go

God’s mercy endures forever.

We are imperfect,

yet we are called:

to freedom, to risk, to love.

God’s mercy endures forever.