Somewhere I have a favorite old T-shirt that I can’t find at the moment. I have kept it because it has a graphic and a saying that reminds me of something important. It shows a hammer smashing a violin, and it says, “Pity party time is over. I choose joy as my response.” The violin symbolizes the trope of playing sad music when someone faces a challenge.

For good or ill, my natural tendencies bend toward the melancholy. If you ask me if the glass is half full or half empty, I will probably start expecting the well to go dry. If I were with Paul and Silas, I would probably sit there complaining about the circumstances. Sing? You must be crazy.

And in a way, they were. Imagine the setting: you are a prisoner in a cell down the block, in the deepest, darkest part of the prison. You hear voices coming out of the dark—raised in song! You protest—bad enough to be in this cell, and now somebody is keeping you from your fitful sleep. But then you listen. “He leadeth me, he leadeth me; by his own hand he leadeth me: his faithful follower I would be, for by his hand he leadeth me.” All your protests die, as do those of the other prisoners. You listen. Even the guards have ceased their chatter.

In the Acts 16 incident, something pretty amazing happens next. I’m not suggesting that all you have to do is sing to make everything change. I’m persuaded that Paul and Silas would have kept singing and praising God if those doors had never opened. I think Paul meant it when he wrote to the Philippians, “I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance…. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.” In fact, the jail incident actually happened right there in Philippi!

Let’s pray: Father, grant to us a spirit of contentment. Some say that birds don’t sing because they are happy, but are happy because they sing. Open our eyes to our choices and guide us to choose joy as our response because of the one who gives us strength.

This devotion was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

For years every Valentine’s Day my hometown newspaper would print Valentines sent in by its subscribers. Some examples: To Clarice, I love you more than the first day of deer season! To Linda, I don’t need a lottery too, I’ve been a millionaire since I met you. To Dad, adopting me has made you the best valentine ever. I love you so much. Here’s my very favorite: To Theodore, you asked me 30 years ago to be your blushing bride. You promised furs and diamond rings, and a limo in which to ride. I made the payments on the ring, the fur is on the cat, the bank has repossessed the car, but I love you still you rat!

That same newspaper ran an article describing the romance between Angeline Kirkland and David Fuqua. They were engaged to be married 62 years earlier but David got cold feet and backed out of the engagement. Now they find themselves living in the same retirement home in Brewton, Alabama. David, 89, is once again pursuing Angeline, 78. He said, “I thought I had Angeline’s heart pretty well won, but if it ain’t, I’ll go to work at it. I dearly loved that heart but I jumped the track and let it get away from me.”

Love has nothing to do with age, or size, or color, or income, or appearance. It is the strongest force on earth. The Bible tells us that there are three qualities that last forever: faith, hope and love but the greatest, the Bible says, is love.

The writer of I John takes this even further. He makes perhaps the boldest statement in all scripture – he defines God. Nowhere else does the Bible attempt to define God, but I John 4:8 does. It says, “God is love.”

There are two truths about love that are rock solid based on this passage. The first is that you are loved. Whether you have realized it or not, claimed it or not, lived in light of it or not, God loves you and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less.

The second truth is that you are to be a loving person. As the Great Commandment says, love God and your neighbor as yourself. Child of God, today be the loving person you were destined to be.

Dear God, wipe away all bitterness in my heart. Free me to accept your love and to give love – both back to you and forward to others. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

The devotion was written and recorded by Herb Sadler.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Our scripture for today is Psalms 71:23.

I have a powerful memory of the first time I truly and profoundly knew the feeling of complete JOY brought on by the full acceptance of this Redemption—this amazing gift, this FREE gift from God!

Now, I was long a skeptic—doubting, wondering, and questioning what I had been taught as a child. I wanted to believe in God’s LOVE but living with the disturbing memories of abuse at the hand of my earthly father; I had great fear and doubt about the unseen heavenly father. Words about the vengeful, murderous acts from the Old Testament seemed more like my image of a Father than the image Jesus gave us about his loving Father, his Abba.

But I hoped his Abba was real. So, I decided to search for Him. I began by reading the Bible for myself – the whole Bible; every word. I read it not once but many times. And I prayed over what I read there. I began to find answers. I started to pray not only by beseeching God, but to pray by listening for God. Answers started to form. Grace was FREE! But I almost couldn’t believe it!

Then one day at a weekend Christian retreat, following a workshop on forgiveness and the LOVE of God, I had a very personal encounter with Jesus!

I was sitting alone on the steps in a small, quiet, empty theater - at the end of a powerful presentation on forgiveness. I pondered the hurt inflicted upon me by my Father in my childhood, and I became completely convinced that I must let go of that resentment and the fear that had bound me so long. I prayed. I begged God to forgive me for my hatred and to release me from my fear. I cried and poured out my heart to God. I asked God to help me to forgive my Daddy.

Then I sat in the near darkness of that small theater and thanked God for his LOVE, for his forgiveness, for the lessons I was learning. The Peace I felt following that prayer seemed like a blanket, enwrapping me, swaddling me. And slowly I realized that I was not alone in the dark. I could feel the presence of someone sitting beside me on the steps.

I could almost feel an arm resting around my shoulders and I heard these words – “You are forgiven. You are LOVED. You are mine!”

Praise God - I know Jesus was the one sitting beside me on those steps that day. I felt his LOVE and I believed in His Faithful, Loving Father, with all my heart, soul, and mind. I still do and always will! He is alive. God is LOVE! And my lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to Him – to Him who redeemed us!

Dear God, draw us to seek you, help us to find you, and fill us with joy that makes us sing as we awaken to your redemption! Amen!

Today’s podcast was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on...