Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Out of them shall come thanksgiving,
and the sound of merrymakers.
I will make them many, and they shall not be few;
I will make them honored, and they shall not be disdained.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, July 5, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
We can still party. I know Jeremiah is talking about some future time after the disaster has fallen upon God’s people, when they finally get to come home. But we don’t have to sit around and wait. We can find ways to celebrate even in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, and oppression. We can come around marginalized communities and hold space for them not only to lament, but also to find joy. Joy is more than just a feeling in response to a good thing happening. It is an entire state of being which can be experienced right in the middle of bad things happening. It is a well of peace that can be tapped into when life is hard. And, no, it’s not easy. Really, really bad things happen. Keep happening. Continue to happen. And I will never tell someone experiencing real challenges to “find the joy.” But, again, we can connect with those who are hurting. We can offer them love. We can provide opportunities for good things to happen, and for joy to be experienced. God is the source of this joy, and wants us to have it.
How can I bring joy to someone who is suffering?
