February 22, 2021: You Can Call Me ‘The Hallelujah’
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:11–12, NIV).
When I was a kid, I used to firmly say I’d be willing to bear persecution— and even die for Jesus. These verses, spoken by Jesus, touch me personally and give me courage to be a witness for Him—no matter the consequence.
At the age of 7, my family lived in a neighborhood where we were the only Seventh-day Adventists. My best friend lived four houses down, and we played almost every day. Her parents even let her go to church with us every Sabbath.
However, one of our neighbors, who called us the “The Hallelujahs,” discouraged my friend from going to church by giving her toys and snacks. Suddenly, my friend stopped talking and playing with me; she was now friends with the neighbor’s grandkids.
This made me very sad. But what hurt the most was when she and the others mocked me and called me “The Hallelujah.” Crying, I told my mom. She hugged me and explained that the word hallelujah means joy and happiness, and, that the next time they called me that, I should thank them because they were calling me something nice.
So I did! And they stopped calling me “The Hallelujah.” In fact, a couple of weeks later, my friend and I were playing together again.
Help me, God, to remember that it doesn’t matter what I go through in life, because You are my reward in heaven. Amen.
Domitila Rosette is the administrative assistant of the Multilingual Ministries Department for the Columbia Union Conference.
February 22: You Can Call Me "The Hallelujah"
February 23: Knock at the Door
February 24, 2021: Two Are Better Than One
February 25, 2021: Only God Can Do That
February 26, 2021: God Chose Me
February 27, 2021: Battling the What-Ifs
February 28, 2021: Go for It!
Join the Journey
To help you dig deeper into God’s Holy Word this year, we’re offering:
- Every Day—Read our Words of Life daily devotional book that features favorite Bible verses from members, pastors, students and leaders from across the Columbia Union. You can also read the devotionals on the Columbia Union app, and interact with the verses in our instagram stories.
- Every Week—Delivered straight to your email, read our e-newsletter by subscribing to Visitor News Bulletin at columbiaunionvisitor.com/vnb. Keep up with the latest Year of the Bible events, devotionals, videos and more.
- Every Month—This calendar, themed “Words of Life,” coincides with the devotional book and videos. It features a biblical topic and verse each month, with additional passages for further exploration, study and ideas on how to apply the concepts in your daily life.