envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter

Divine Imperatives August 24 Devotional

by David Joynt on August 24, 2023


MATTHEW 5:14b | 14b A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Some of us instinctively fear standing out. Others of us long to be recognized. Either way, we must reckon with our calling to be a “light” to this world. Light exposes things. If you resist some things in this world that others practice, you will stand out for not conforming. If your speech is purer, your life simpler, your ethics clearer, your generosity greater, you will be noticed. Some will admire and others will criticize or laugh at you, perhaps even label you a fanatic.

 

Have you had someone admire your faith?

 

Have you had anyone disparage you for it?

 

 

Gracious God,

Don’t let the reactions of others dictate my behavior. Help me follow You with gentleness and understanding, even when I face criticism or skepticism.

Amen.

 

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

More from Pastor Joynts Devotionals

return to Pastor Joynts Devotionals