NorMel House Devotions

 Joy – a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Do you feel joy? It’s not typically the word we use in conversation; we tend to say we’re happy or glad about things. The question remains, though: do you feel joy? There are two types of joy: reactionary joy or joy that is ‘soul-deep’. Soul-deep joy is a deep and lasting joy, regardless of circumstances. Proverbs has many verses that speak about joy; “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish” (Proverbs 10:28). Or we can turn to Proverbs 17:22, where it says, “A joyful heart is a good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Where do we find ‘soul-deep’ joy? We saw in Proverbs 10:28 that it comes from the hope of the righteous. What is that hope? In Luke 2:10-11, we read, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Our...

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 ESV During His time on earth, Jesus suffered greatly for the sins of others. Though He was perfect, He took the weight and the punishment for our sins upon Himself. Pain is a result of sin, and while we all experience it in different ways in our lives, He is the only one whose pain was solely the fault of others. 1 Peter 2:21-24 tells us, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. ...

He threw himself into the sea. Talk about loving enthusiasm! I sometimes wonder if those of us who grow up going to church can really understand this. I'm not a morning person, takes me a while to get going and even longer to be smiling, so I can honestly say I've never "thrown" myself into my car in excitement to get to church.  How are your Sundays? Do you get excited to hear the preaching of the gospel? I think perhaps more of us spend our mornings either fighting the kids to get ready on time or scrambling to get out the door. There's no enthusiasm, only frustration, or even just going through the motions in habit. Have we lost our perspective? The church is where we hear the word of God, it's God's house, and we get to meet Him in worship! Should we not be like Peter and have such a strong desire to meet our Lord that we are eager and excited to go? I know I definitely fall short in this. I don't really do anything with enthusiasm, but should I no...

  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV Looking out at a blustery winter morning and seeing all the beautiful snow I'm reminded once again of our amazing God. There's something about the fresh white snow, the crisp cold air and the early morning hours that make me smile. Maybe it's the glimpse of peace, or the way the white landscape looks fresh and clean but it's in these moments that I feel the steadfast love of God.  Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow". White as snow. Just as the fresh white snow covers the whole ground, so Christ's blood covers all our sins. Is that not amazing? Do you get that feeling of fullness in your chest as you think about it? That feeling that God is so much bigge...

  Bless the Lord, O My Soul Of David. Psalm 103  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3  who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4  who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5  who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6  The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7  He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11  For as hig...

I've been rather absent in my posting for the last few weeks, and while I feel a little bad about this, I'm trying to give myself the grace to get through the things I need to. December is not an easy month for me, and while I try to put on a smile and participate in all the family functions, my heart isn't usually in them. I find I need to distract myself from thinking about the children I have loved and lost, but there are constant reminders everywhere that they're not here. And while I have been productive in my writing (my book on the letter of James is now with the publisher!), it hasn't been in the form of blog entries... here's where my heart has been... When it comes to the loss of a child or loved one, the empty spot they leave behind in our hearts and lives is never completely filled up again. God created us as unique individuals, and no one can ever truly replace another person. We can make new friends, try to have more children, get married, and try ...