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

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Miguel de Cervantes:
"Truth indeed rather alleviates than hurts, and will always bear up against falsehood, as oil does above water."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'No Partiality' (Ro. 2:8-11)
"Dear Father, holy and righteous judge, I know that you will render to every man according to his works. To those who are factious and obey wickedness..."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'The Great Love of Our Father' (1 Jn. 3:1a)
"See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!"
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Just Another Face in the Crowd?'
"Dear Follower, I surprised people when I went to the Jordan River to be immersed by John the Baptist. John's baptism — like baptism in the..."

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