God’s Unspeakable Joy
BRD REFLECTION 2025
(David Mok, Lay Leader Representative)
READ:
For this devotion, Isaiah 46:1 stood out to me.
OBSERVE:
Isaiah 46 depicts the gods Bel and Nebo as powerless idols—burdens that must be carried by weary animals, incapable of protecting themselves or their followers. In stark contrast, the passage reveals the one true God as the one who lovingly carries and sustains His people from birth throughout their entire lives. The thing is, despite these gods being inept, there are still people who worship them.
APPLY:
While many may not worship ineffective gods, many still, subtly, value other gods in their lives over our one true God. How does one know when they are worshipping other gods instead of the one true God? I have experienced this myself. Many years ago, I was an ardent football fan. I would go out of my way to listen to the BBC football program on Saturdays, tuning in to catch the commentary of my favourite football team’s match or just keeping up with the live score for that Saturday. When my team won, I felt unspeakable joy. One day, I found myself asking: why do I feel such joy over a football game but not an equivalent joy while worshipping God on Sunday? Where is the unspeakable joy when I worship God? That was when I realised that I had other ‘gods’ in my life. Football was more precious to me than my faith. That realisation jolted me and kickstarted my journey to rediscover the joy of my salvation. Today, I am glad that football no longer has the same hold on me as it did in the past.
DO:
I will continue to seek God’s presence in my daily life. As I pursue and experience God’s presence, I am confident that He will bless me with unspeakable joy. In addition, I intend to regularly examine my heart to identify and remove any ‘gods’ that may take precedence over Him. May I always draw upon the fulfilling joy that can only be found in our one true God.
PRAY:
Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to me through this passage. I am grateful for your redemption, freeing me from the bondage of this world and allowing me to rediscover the joy I once found in you. Please guard my heart and keep me close to you, so that I will not stray again. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
