Listen

The person whose help is the God of Jacob— the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God— is truly happy!

God: the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, God: who is faithful forever, who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving!

The Lord: who frees prisoners. The Lord: who makes the blind see. The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low. The Lord: who loves the righteous. The Lord: who protects immigrants, who helps orphans and widows, but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!

Psalm 146:5-9

Think

Happy seems to be the baseline today. We expect to be happy every day. We center our lives around being happy. When there is something wrong or unexpected that happens, we ask big questions about why and how these things could happen.

The Psalmist reminds us that in order to find true happiness, we must center our lives in the one who is our hope and life. When God is the center, we rest in God through the good and the bad. We begin to realize that being happy is not just an experience we consume but a way of being in the world. Centering our lives with God, we find that there is joy on all days.

Michelle Thomas-Bush

Pray

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Go

The good news of great joy isn’t just something to receive, accept, or even consume.

Be great joy.

Offer great joy in kind, loving relationships with those you love and those you haven’t even met yet.

God is still trying to get to us to bring good news of great joy for all the people. ALL THE people. That means you. And me. And them.

Good news of great joy for ALL.