daily devotional

Genuine Enjoyment

Read Ecclesiastes 2:25

When I was growing up, my family lived next door to a family that had many of the world's goods we didn't have, but they didn't have the joys Christ can bring—which we had in abundance. 

I remember one Christmas when we were singing together as a family. 

Suddenly, my mom said, "We're making so much noise; we better close the windows or we'll disturb all the neighbours." So we closed the windows.

Within minutes our phone rang. It was a girl who lived next door. She asked, "Why'd you close the windows?"

"Well, we didn't want to disturb you," was Mum's answer. 

The girl blurted out, "Disturb us? That's the most laughter we've heard the entire Christmas season!... That's beautiful music!" 

If you really want to have fun—I mean the kind of fun that is real enjoyment (without a hangover)—then you need...a relationship with the living God.

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.