Below are two short devotionals taken from one of my daily devotional books.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Isaiah 46:10 KJV

During the course of a lifetime, a man enjoys much and suffers much. During the former, we rejoice at the graciousness of God, but do we also trust in God during the latter times?

Yes, we do, if we understand that the purposes of God shall always stand, regardless of man’s opinion—and that those purposes always work toward a goal God has in mind.

Trust in God’s sovereignty lifts a huge burden from our backs. And instead of paralyzing our prayer life (“Why pray if God has predetermined the outcome?”), it invigorates our prayers. In praying, we participate in God bringing about His sovereignty.

Prayer has been likened to laying down the railroad tracks where the locomotive of God’s will wants to go. Pray then with confidence and expectation.

A.W. Pink wrote:

“Divine sovereignty in not the sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot, but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise He cannot err, and because He is infinitely righteous He will not do wrong.”

THE JOY OF THE LORD

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Psalms 95:1-3 KJV

A joyless Christian is an oxymoron. There’s no lack of joy found in Christianity. As we learn to live in the joy of the Lord, we find renewed strength during hard times. We find happiness during blessed times.

Christian joy is not a worked-up emotion. It comes as a gift from the Lord Himself. In Him is fullness of joy. The package deal of salvation contains more than enough joy to meet life’s demands. Therefore, come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise with psalms.

Why? Because He “is a great God and a great King above all gods.”

Augustine wrote:

“There exists a delight that is not given to the wicked, but to those honoring Thee, O God, without desiring recompense, the joy of whom Thou art Thyself! And this is the blessed life, to rejoice towards Thee, about Thee, for Thy sake.”

May these “Words of Thought” be a blessing unto you.
Troy Chandler
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi