Seeing the Beauty of Christ!

This is Pastor Al's devotional thought for the day from his own Daily Office. Please offer your responses and if you have not done so please consider Subscribing to our YouTube Channel. #dailyoffice #joy #timewithjesus

Today’s Gratitude:

Goal I am working on is weight and Health.

Today’s Affirmation:

I affirm that I am fully loved by Christ!

One blessing that makes today Better:

I am not alone on my journey.

My focus is on joy!

Seeing the Beauty of Christ!

Today’s Passage: John 16:14, ESV

14 “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

John Piper’s definition of joy is: “Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.”[1] These are not emotions that are random but it those emotions that are ordered by Christ for me. The bible is filled with commands that we do the things that are immediately outside of our control. For instance, commands to rejoice, to worship, to be grateful, to be tender all these commands may not be congruent with our current life circumstances. Augustine daily declared: “Father command what you will and grant what you command.”  There are some behaviors that I cannot do on my own power, but I need the presence and power of the HOLY SPIRIT to fill me with His capacity. God commands certain emotions so this why Augustine prayed: “O, God, if you are going to command me these things, grant that you would give them when you command them.” Therefore, in John 16:14 to glorify Christ, means that the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of my heart to see the beauty of Christ in all that He is doing, and all that He is, then my heart is drawn out in the joy that I desire to express to Him. Often, I allow the circumstances of a life situation to cover like clouds over the brightness of the beauty of Christ. When I cease to see the beauty of Christ, I will tend to default grumbling, and my hand goes from being open in worship to a fist that is complainingdoing enough for me. To live in the beauty of Christ is to live in joy. To see the beauty of Christ is for me in my prayer not seek His hands more than I seek His face. Holy Spirit help me to see you beauty.

Prayer:

“Lord, today I pray that you open the eyes of my heart to see your beauty that transcends all of life’s challenges. In this I choose to glorify you understanding that you are the source of all that sustains me and frees me to live out your purpose today. Your joy is my strength for every breath that I take.” I Pray this in Jesus name … Amen!” 

Footnotes:

[1] John Piper, "How do you define Joy?," DesiringGod (July 25, 2025).https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-do-you-define-joy.

Resources:

Piper, John. "How Do You Define Joy?" DesiringGod. (July 25, 2025). https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-do-you-define-joy