Welcome back! If you are just joining us, we are using the YouVersion Bible App to follow a devotional together. Read THIS POST to get all the information you need to join in and then you can read THIS MORNING’S POST to see the promises we are focusing on this week.

What did you think of the promises this week? Did you have trouble choosing a verse to focus on or did one immediately speak to you. The verse I chose is from a book that I love to pull from because it really speaks to me. Can you guess what I chose?

I have already approved of you so relax and enjoy your life! Ecclesiastes 9:7

Okay, you caught me. The actual verse says “wine” not “coffee” but since I’m not a wine drinker and coffee wasn’t discovered by people until the 10th century I’m going to say that Solomon didn’t realize how great coffee would be so he didn’t know to write about it. And coffee definitely helps with my joyful heart. Am I alone in that? Didn’t think so.

The entire book of Ecclesiastes is simply wonderful. Solomon rolls over and over the thoughts of life and comes to a basic conclusion: good or bad, we all have one life and eventually it will end. But ultimately the true meaning of life is to know God and through him we will find happiness and purpose. It doesn’t matter if we are building skyscrapers, ministering to a village in the middle of nowhere, or baking cookies for our child’s school as long as we work as though we are working for God and be thankful for the life we have in him.

This verse doesn’t give us permission to live however we want just because we know God. It doesn’t give us a pass on following his commandments. It means that while we are living for him, following his will for our life, we can enjoy what we have! We can laugh and play around. We can eat and celebrate. We can relax and soak it in. God approves of us and what we do because we are in him. I don’t need to prove myself to him because I am already accepted!

So today while my kids are napping I will eat a piece of Halloween candy with gladness and pour myself another cup of coffee with a joyful heart. Because God approves of me and what I am doing for I am His.

Heavenly Father, thank you that you don’t require us to jump through hoop after hoop to be accepted by you! Thank you for your approval of our lives when we accept your Son as our Savior. Thank you for the amazing blessings of food and drink that you encourage us to enjoy these things with gladness and a joyful heart! Help us to give you thanks in all circumstances and choose joy no matter what we experience for we are yours. In Jesus name, Amen.