Bible Verse
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Remember running through sprinklers on hot summer days? Or spinning until you got dizzy just to feel the world whirl around you? Somewhere between report cards and retirement plans, many of us packed away that pure, bubbling joy. Now, as 2025 peeks around the corner, maybe it's time to unpack those boxes of wonder we've stored away. There's this beautiful verse in Proverbs that whispers a truth we might have forgotten - "a cheerful heart is good medicine." What if, in all our striving to grow closer to God, we've overlooked the simple path of joy?
Short Devotional
You know what's amazing about King David? Despite wearing a crown and carrying the weight of a nation, he never forgot how to celebrate. Picture this: the mighty king of Israel, dancing with complete abandon before God, his royal robes probably a mess, not caring one bit about looking "proper." His wife Michal watched from a window, rolling her eyes at his undignified display. But David? He was too caught up in joy to notice. Sometimes the most profound worship happens when we stop trying to be mature and just let our hearts overflow.
Read more about David's joyful moment in 2 Samuel 6:14-23.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father,
As I stand at the beginning of 2025, I feel the weight of being "grown up" - of having forgotten how to experience You with childlike wonder. Your Word tells me that a cheerful heart is good medicine, yet sometimes joy feels so far away. I confess that I've let life's seriousness crush my spirit, leaving my bones dry and my heart heavy.
Thank You for being a God who delights in play and celebration. Thank You for Jesus, who welcomed children and understood their special connection to Your kingdom. Help me remember that You're not just the God of serious prayers and solemn worship - You're also the Creator who painted sunsets, designed playful puppies, and gave us the capacity for laughter.
Lord, as this new year unfolds, teach me to dance again in Your presence. Show me how to find You in moments of pure joy, in spontaneous laughter, in childlike wonder at Your creation. Break down the walls of dignity that keep me from experiencing You fully. Release me from the fear of looking foolish when I express my love for You.
Give me courage to embrace play as a spiritual practice. Let my cheerful heart become a testimony of Your goodness. Help me create spaces in my life where joy can flourish and where Your healing can flow freely. Restore to me the wonder that comes so naturally to children.
In Jesus' name, I step into this year with hope for a more playful, joy-filled walk with You.
Amen.
Journaling Prompts
When was the last time you felt completely free to be playful in God's presence? What held you back from experiencing more moments like this?
If you could spend one hour with Jesus, doing anything at all, what would you choose to do together?
What "grown-up" barriers have you built between yourself and experiencing joy in your faith?
You know what? Maybe 2025 isn't just another year to get things right or to be more disciplined. Maybe it's an invitation to rediscover the joy that's been waiting for us all along. And perhaps the most beautiful part is that God's been waiting too - not with a checklist of improvements, but with arms wide open, ready to twirl us around in a dance of delight. After all, when was the last time you heard someone say they fell in love with God through a perfectly followed routine? Until we meet again, remember that sometimes the holiest moments happen when we simply let ourselves play in God's presence.
God Bless!
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