Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
Our 2023 focus has been on Joy. Take a moment to consider the question, “How joyful am I?” God desires for His children to be happy just as much as we desire joy for our families. We began the year studying the subject of joy and in a few short months, we will be singing, Joy To The World. Do I demonstrate more joy today than I did at the beginning of the year? Or the beginning of my Christian walk?
Certainly, we don’t always walk around with a big smile on our face ready to shout out, “Praise the Lord!” But we should be doing it more often today than we did on January 1st. Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy is an expression that all Christians should show. Joy is the motivation that keeps us progressing in our daily lives. It provides us the STRENGTH we need to persevere.
So, how is your joy today? Life gets busy. Life is often painful. Life is filled with stresses. And we could add many others trials of life. But there are also many wonderful reasons for us to choose joy. I try to begin my prayer times with a moment of gratitude. I try to think of several blessings in my life as I enter the presence of my Savior. This tempers my prayers and provides me with guidance and strength for the day. God is good…all the time! So let’s show joy today!
