Joy

When we walk with Jesus, we have full access to the joy that comes with salvation. Even when we are in seasons of not feeling joy, we still have this unexplainable hope and joy in knowing that the Lord is making a way for us and working in us.

- Has there been a hard time you faced, when you experienced that unexplainable joy and hope from Jesus? Did people around you notice it?

- How do you tap into the joy that comes from the Lord? What hinders you from choosing that mindset?

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
When I think of having a grateful heart, I think of a heart filled with joy. Because how can you be grateful without feeling joyful? I also think of being thankful and as I mentioned, I was speaking recently with my daughter, and telling her how grateful I feel when I look back over my life. Yes, there's been highs and there's been lows, there's been dark places, places filled with grief, but there's been so many (I don't want to say highs in the sense like “whoopee”), but the sense that the presence of God and his leadership was with me constantly. Through the lows and through the highs, he never leaves us, he never forsakes us, so we can always feel grateful for his presence and his help. And the Holy Spirit is spoken of as our comforter. Just think when you awake in the morning and you look toward your day, do you feel dread or do you, in that moment, embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit - the comforter who is going to comfort you, and guide you, and lead you through that day? Every nuance in that day is filled with his presence. I think this is why God has told his people “be joyful. Don't be afraid, be joyful. I’m with you on this journey and I will cause you to arrive at your expected end”. You know, I think of a scripture that's actually a psalm, Psalm 95, and it says “oh come let us sing unto the Lord”. Do you ever wake up singing “let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation”? I won't read the whole psalm, but just that first verse speaks about our joyfulness by thankfulness, and then it underscores why we can feel that way. Why? Because he's the rock in our life, he is the rock of our Salvation, he is a very present help in trouble. The comforter is the Holy Spirit. He comes to comfort us. Our feet are standing on the rock, we have every reason, every reason in the world to stand strong on the rock, and to stand joyfully, and to walk joyfully through life because of who He is. And He is in us.  

Oh Lord, we are so grateful for your presence. We stand in awe of the fact that you live within us. And you are ever causing us to walk in a straight line toward the kingdom of God, and to be a light along the way to fill others with joy and gratefulness and thankfulness.  

Have you ever looked at someone and thought “why is he always so happy?” Let it be you that they look at, and think “You know, his life's not perfect. I know some things about his life -  it's not easy, but i see a light, I see a gleam in his eye, I feel a joyfulness from his spirit”. That is supernatural. I want that, too. Let’s be that kind of a light in the world, that spreads joy and gratefulness everywhere we go. God bless you.