Joy!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the joy of the Lord.

I had someone at church months back ask me what the joy of the Lord is exactly. She wasn’t asking for me to give an answer right then, but more so to create a challenge in my heart.

It’s challenged me. I haven’t stopped thinking about it, and praying about what the joy of the Lord is lately.

The more Christmas approaches, I realize how many people put their joy in the season of this one holiday. Everything we do and say is working around this one holiday. “It’s the joy of the season!”

What season? What joy? I started to realize, that I’ve put more weight and stock in holidays, events and the next highlight reel than I have in my daily mundane life.

It hit me more that, really, those things have only brought me momentary happiness, not true joy.

No, you see, true joy is something you can only gain from one source and it literally becomes your strength.

It comes from Him. It’s source is from Him. It cannot be outsourced to anyone or anything else, and have the same results. It transcends situations and circumstances. It becomes your strength.

See, it’s easy to have JOY when everything in your life is amazing and wonderful. It’s not easy to have joy when everything is falling apart around you.

That’s not joy then, is it? It’s just a temporary emotion of happiness that is dictated by the next wind of crap that comes our way.

I don’t want that kind of emotional roller coaster.

No, the JOY OF THE LORD is my strength. His spirit, His being, becoming my joy and in doing so, becomes my strength in all of life’s storms and trials. It’s an unshakable, tangible, strong fortress that can’t be permeated or penetrated by short term happiness, it’s JOY in Him.

It isn’t hinges on our life. It’s hinged on Him, and He isn’t changing. He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. “

Hebrews 13:8

Our joy is secure in a God who is secure on His throne through every season of life.

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!””

Nehemiah 8:10

My prayer is that you all come to know that joy in your life, in everything. Not just in the good but more so in the yuck of life. It comes from being richly rooted in Him and His word. That His joy wash over you today in the midst of whatever is going on.

Until next time,

Becca