We invite you to take a peek inside our weekly Light for the Way devotional series provided for staff.
By Campus Pastor Sherree Lane, The Farmstead
People know if we enjoy being with them. Residents recognize if we love serving them. Fellow staff can determine if we like our job. Of course, none of us can be “up” all the time or have our best day every day. Life brings troubles like a sick child, or a car rear-ended or a fractured toe!
But joy is contagious, and it carries us through difficult days. Sometimes we need to take a moment of silence first and center ourselves on God and the bigger picture. Psalm 149 fits into the last five Hallelujah songs of the Hebrew psalter. It may not make Billboard’s Top 50 chart, but it reminds us to look up and find our joy in the Lord. Here are the lyrics, you provide the tune!
Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory. —Psalm 149:1-4
Notice how focusing upward turns our attitude right side up.
- Rejoice because you have a Maker. He is ‘Somebody Bigger than you and I.’ He fashioned you meticulously for a purpose. Knowing that God knows the big picture lifts one’s sights beyond the day’s difficulties or one’s perceived inadequacies.
- Your Maker delights in you. He is not a tyrant waiting for you to make a mistake. No, He takes pleasure in you. He is vitally concerned about you, and He promotes your well-being. (Yes, He grieves when people turn away from Him. That’s part of “free choice” He designed.)
- He crowns the humble with victory. The ones who depend upon Him overcome. As you lean into Him, He gives you resources to overcome the day’s challenges.
Serve with joy. Receive your joy from your Maker. He genuinely enjoys you!
Pastor Sherree Lane serves as campus pastor at The Farmstead of Andover, Minn., and Scandia Shores of Shoreview, Minn. An ordained minister, she has served congregations in Michigan and Minnesota, and in senior communities for 10 years. She enjoys making music at the piano and taking walks outdoors. Her niece, who lives with her while finishing a graduate program, brings much joy and laughter into her life.
The Light for the Way series provides staff with an examination of a biblical reading to deepen our focus on scripture. Thank you for engaging with this series as we seek wisdom through prayer and reflection as a Christian Ministry.
Find more in the Light for the Way series:
Love one another
Get to know us: a Christian ministry
Introducing Light for the Way, a new devotional series