Do not be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!
Nehemiah 8:10
Lately I've been finding myself in-joying life more than usual. Now in-joying means finding reasons to bring joy into situations that are traditionally rather joy-less. Joy can be a rare commodity in today's world. It seems as if people had a meeting and decided that the older you get the less joyful you are allowed to be.
But joy seems to be pretty important in God's world. The letters of the bible to the early church are full of exhortations to in-joy life. "Rejoice in the LORD always" "Consider it joy when you face trials" "May the God of hope fill you with all joy" I wonder why God found it so important to remind us about joy. Did He know something that we didn't?
I'll tell you for free, my life is much brighter now that I choose to spend more time in-joying rather than just living. Living is so yesterday. ;) Finding a reason to smile or laugh makes everything so much better. And if God's word is to be believed there isn't an occasion or a reason worthy to squeeze the joy out of life. Jesus Himself left us with this promise "I will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take away your joy"
Have you lost your joy? I give you permission to go out there and find it. Find things that once brought you joy and see if you can find joy in them again. Find things you things that, if you did more, would bring you more joy and go out and do them. And more than anything start with God. He created joy and so He may know a thing or two about bring your joy back
Dear LORD I pray for joy. For myself, for my loved ones and for all who read this who need to in-joy life more. You created joy and so though we may have lost sight of it, I know you can help us find it. In Jesus' Name I ask, trust and believe. Amen.
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