“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NASB95)

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12, NASB95)

John Maxwell once said, “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.”

Feeling Joyful lately?

I will readily admit that 2020 has created more pessimism and anger in my life than just about any year I can remember. It’s very easy for me to justify my feelings and attitudes by just saying, “But Lord, it’s 2020.” Yet the patient and loving voice of my Savior keeps whispering, “Mike, Where’s your joy?”

Do you remember a time when you had been caught in a thunderstorm, hailstorm, or maybe a snowstorm? If you were driving a car at the time, it is very possible that you began to grip the steering wheel a bit tighter. You began to focus and pay closer attention to your surroundings. If you were outside playing or walking, you began to pull your coat in closer, throw up your hood, lean into the wind and run for cover! Once you walk through the front door of you home and push it closed . . . a sigh escapes your lips, your body relaxes, and the first thing you notice is the silence. The winds may still blow outside, but inside, everything is still, calm, and peaceful.

Consider the words of Jesus: “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38–39, NASB95)