This year, a friend of mine lost her husband of over sixty years, but her commitment to joy was a powerful witness to me. Watching the result of her choosing joy in the presence of sadness and the temptation to self-pity made me determined to understand the power of joy and to possess it in my daily life.  

Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

~Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

I haven’t lost a husband, but the enemy has delivered plenty of situations against my peace and joy. He wants me to doubt God’s promise to love, protect, and provide. He wants to bring up old interpretations of circumstances and relationships from my past that instill anxiety if I choose to agree with them. The enemy will use anything to make me forget God’s loving kindness and grab for defenses other than Him.

One day, as I listened to praise and worship while driving, I thought about how many kinds of trouble people face. Our enemy must hate it when we refuse to believe his lies about our situations. Whatever happens, he wants to steal our faith, hope, and trust.  Even if he can’t steal our salvation, he wants to make us miserable.

God reminded me that joy is not an emotion, but a fruit of the Spirit. If I want to walk in joy, I must start with the decision to say “no” to my natural reactions and “yes” to the fruit of joy. This decision is made by faith, like the decision to forgive.

 

Now may the God of all hope fill you with all joy in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

~Romans 15:13 NIV

This verse provided the key to unlocking joy for me. God Himself fills us with joy and hope when we believe His Word. Believing this has made joy more tangible to me. I’ve come to understand the combination of faith, trust, thanksgiving, and praise contained in joy. No wonder joy is so powerful.

Make choosing joy your daily practice. 

Father, thank You for the promise to fill me with all joy. Enable me to stand firm in the fruit of joy when I’m faced with feelings that pull in the opposite direction. Lead me to experience that the joy of the Lord is my strength. Thank You that Your Word is always true and accomplishes the purpose for which You sent it. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

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