God's Holy Fire: 'Received with Joy'

Friday, November 27, 2026

So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT

Key Thought

How can a convicting message, a message that calls us to turn our lives around (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10), bring joy in the middle of suffering?
  1. That message is true.
  2. That message points us to a better way, a way that leads to glory that is far greater than any suffering now could possibly be (Romans 8:17-18).
  3. That message comes accompanied by the ultimate Message-giver, the Holy Spirit.
Joy is inspired, produced, and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Today's Prayer

O Father, inspire joy in me and those I love. I do not ask for this joy selfishly, but so that others can sense this deep and abiding joy within me and be open to hearing the message of Jesus, responding to his call to believe, and discovering the joy that is possible only because of the Spirit's presence in our lives. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

6 Related Resources by Heartlight

1 Thessalonians 1:6
Devo: Today's Verse
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
1 Thessalonians 1:6-7
Devo: Today's Verse
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a..."
Imitators
Illustration of 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7
Inspirational illustration of 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 -- 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia
A Marvelous Message
Devo: Praying with Paul
"Dear Father, Thank you for the great numbers of believers in Jesus Christ, for their works of faith, their labors of love, and their steadfastness of..."
See All 6 Related Resources about 1 Thessalonians 1:6

Illustration

Illustration of 1 Thessalonians 1:6 NLT — So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, November 27, 2026

Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Doubt and Divided Loyalty Hinders Prayer'
"But when you [pray and] ask [God], be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave...."
Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by William Temple:
"I can contribute nothing to my own salvation, except the sin from which I need to be redeemed."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Confidence'
"Dear Disciple, John was a masterful writer. He used a simple vocabulary to share nuances of truth and depths of theological insight. His use of such...."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Mark 14:14
"Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Saviour, and he had...."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations