Choosing Joy
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"Rejoice in the Lord always." Philippians 4:4
I read this verse recently, and it stood out to me. My life currently is very simple due to my health situation. In particular - my numb feet from neuropathy. A good portion of my day revolves around various treatments. Some days are very dull and boring. I don't always "feel" overflowing with joy.
But as I pondered this verse, I realized that joy is a "choice," daily, hourly, moment by moment. I can experience the Lord's joy even when I'm going through hard times. His joy is available to me in any hardship, any suffering, any adversity, any discouragement.
"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
Every morning when I get up, before I even get out of bed - I speak out some of the Lord's promises to me and ask for them for my day. This verse is one of them. I ask the Lord to fill me with His joy - which is my strength for the day.
As I go about my day, I consciously look for things to express my joy in the Lord. When I get busy, I try to stop and focus on thanking the Lord for things in my day - which releases joy. I've come to understand that joy isn't something that just hits us - it's something we choose and work at. And the benefits are awesome!
I recently watched the movie "The Jesus Revolution" that was on TV here. It was made in 2023. It was a trip down memory lane. While it was happening in Calif. and other parts of the US - we were experiencing it in Afghanistan, and later in Amsterdam. Those were special days! And one of the characteristics of it was, you guessed it - JOY. There was such overwhelming joy in the hearts of all the young people coming to know Jesus! It was contagious. Many worship songs that we sing today came out of that time of spiritual revolution. I found my self praying for it to come again!
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14
"Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence." Psalm 21:6
When we walk in the "joy of the Lord," everything in life takes on a different perspective. What a blessed gift His joy is!