A Short Devotional for Your Day Today — Joy

What comes to your mind when you hear the word JOY?

I can’t churn up joy anymore. I am so done.

There’s too much pain in my family, my circles, our country, our world.

As a believer, I know I should rejoice, but it’s too hard right now.

I do feel guilty for my lack of joy, but I don’t know what to do about it, and I don’t have the energy to try.

I imagine we’ve all experienced these feelings recently, but what if we flipped the meaning of the word JOY? What if we considered not what we are feeling but how our heavenly Father feels about us?

I recall one day when I was feeling particularly low. A failure as a mom, as a wife, and even as a ministry partner. Self-condemnation reared its ugly head. I knew I should be thankful in all things, but I was weary of trying. Looking around my messy laundry room, I noticed a tired old poster stuck on the wall by my washing machine. It read, “You have made me glad…” (Psalm 21:6).

This was a pivotal moment for me. In reading the words on the faded poster, I saw for the first time that I couldn’t even make myself glad. I had to rely on Him to do even that. My spiritual poverty was far greater than I had imagined. How humbling this was and yet how freeing. This small insight has encouraged me to see JOY through different lenses.

Instead of focusing on how am I feeling, I am asking: how does Father God feel about me and you?

Here’s what He says:

• “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
  I imagine His joy rather than my lack of joy.
• “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 17:8
  I say to myself, I am the apple of your eye!
• “He bought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19
  “The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.” Psalm 35:27b
  I say to myself, Father, right at this moment, you are delighting in me.
• “You hem me in behind and before; you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm139:1-10
  I say to myself, Father, you know everything about me, and you’ve got your loving arms around me, hemming me in.
• “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
  I say to myself, Father, you don’t condemn me. You take joy in me!
• “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades, you call forth songs of JOY.” Psalm 65:8
  I say to myself, Father, help me to see your songs of joy in what you have created, even to imagine the delight you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit experienced at creation.

Sometimes it’s hard to enjoy the Lord if we spend all our energy trying to please Him. We neglect to take time to simply enjoy Him.

It’s not easy for us to churn up joy, but a challenge for today is to reflect on His JOY in us.

I was a strong-willed child, the eldest of four. I was not easy to raise. Yet I have a vivid memory of being curled up in my dad’s lap in his favorite, worn-out easy chair. I named it the “Cuddling Chair.”

He said to me, “Susan, I love you so much.”

“Why, Daddy?” I responded.

“Just because you are mine,” he replied.

It wasn’t because I was good or bad. It was simply because I belonged to him.

This is how God sees you and me. He not only loves us, but He takes JOY in us simply because we belong to him.

What if you and I take ten minutes today to dwell on the fact that He’s saying to us,

“I not only love you; I enjoy you.”

And to walk throughout this day saying to myself, “You’ve got me.”

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