Each year in addition to my Bible reading plan, I try to read through a tried and true devotional book. Last year, it was “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers, a classic. The year before that, it was “Valley of Vision,” a collection of Puritan Prayers. This year, I’m starting “Morning and Evening” by Charles Spurgeon. Right from the outset, I’m challenged by his evening devo calling believers to be filled with joy despite challenges in life. Song of Solomon 1:4, “We will be glad and rejoice in Thee.” We have so much to be joyful about, yet we are so easily distracted by the mundane discouragements of life.

OK, true confessions, while working for a number of years on my doctorate, particularly on my dissertation through much of 2020-2021, not able to travel, stuck in my office researching, writing, editing, my joy was pretty thin at times. Then, I finished that, and my joy overflowed as I returned to training pastors globally. Then Covid hit, and along with it, numerous challenges to travel internationally, and my joy waned again, not when I was with the pastors, but overcoming the sea of obstacles to get to them (and get back home). Yet why should I allow such trivial circumstances to rob me of the joy that God says is found in Him. “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Neh. 8:10) That is a constant, and has nothing to do with transitory circumstances.

So I have been reproved, and received a renewed vision to dedicate 2022 to joy-filled service to the Lord, whatever that might look like. For example, on Monday morning I leave for Zambia (if my covid test results come back in time). But I can choose to have joy and not be overcome by stress as I wait for test results. A local pastor, Aaron, is joining me, and I can choose to have joy as I seek ways to encourage him throughout the trip. We have a 12 hour flight to Amsterdam, then a ten hour flight to Johannesburg, SA, then spend the night in the airport, then another flight to Lusaka. During that, I know I will not get sleep, will feel varying degrees of headache, stomach ache, body aches, groggy, weary, etc. But does any of that really matter? I can choose to have joy that I get the opportunity to train pastors and ministry leaders in how to study and teach God’s Word, an incredible privilege. We will be staying with a dear African pastor in Lusaka, and whether or not I sleep well is inconsequential compared with the joy of being in close relationship with him and his family. I choose to have joy, regardless of my circumstances, just like Paul, who wrote the #1 treatise on joy from a cold, dark, nasty prison cell (Book of Philippians).

May your 2022 be filled with joyful service to our Lord, joyful walking with our Lord, joyful worship of our Lord, regardless of what circumstances may come your way.

If you want to pray along with me during this Zambia trip, here are some specifics:

Itinerary:

January 3-5 – Travel to Lusaka via Amsterdam and Johannesburg (South Africa).

January 6-8 – Prepare for workshop launch, spend time with coordinator and key African leaders, and take in some sights in Zambia.

January 9 – Preach in churches in Lusaka.

January 10-13 – Four full days of training, covering workshops 5-7.

January 14-15 – Return to US via Dar es Salaam and Amsterdam.

Prayer Requests:

• Praise God that we are allowed to go to Zambia and train the network in Lusaka.
• People: Pray that my training partner, Aaron, and I will work well together, have great times encouraging each other, and have energy and joy pouring into Zambian leaders. Pray for Paul, the network coordinator (with whom we will be staying) and his wife Susan, and for 12-16 master trainers.
• Covid requirements: Please pray we will receive our negative Covid test results by Sunday night or early Monday morning before departure. Pray that our transit through Amsterdam and Johannesburg will be smooth. Pray we will find a way to get an approved covid test 24 hours before return trip to US.
• Training: Pray for wisdom in distilling three full Pathways workshops (Psalms, Mark, Romans) into one training time, preparing participants to handle God’s Word well and train other preachers to do so. This will be the first time we’ve tried this.