Pause: A Month of Joy in Five Minutes a DayNäide

Proclaim

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” (Phil. 4:4-5)

Prompt

I’m not a coffee guy. I’m an energy drink guy.

You know when you open a can, how you get that oh-so-refreshing sound of carbonation escaping? (Or maybe you remember that sound from your beer-drinking days?)

To me, that’s the sound of joy.

Joy is effervescence. Joy bubbles up from within us. Joy can seem like an almost inexhaustible resource that never runs out.

At least, that’s how God’s joy is. We can’t get there on our own—if we try, we’ll just go flat. We have to rely on the joy of the Lord to refresh us daily, hourly.

Crack open your heart and let the joy come out!

Prod

Get a non-alcoholic carbonated beverage—energy drink, sparkling water, Diet Coke—and reflect on God’s joy as you open it and listen to the sound.

Praise

Listen to “I Thank God” by Maverick City Music

Pray

Jesus, thank you for your effervescent joy, bubbling up within me. Keep me from going flat today. I want to have a joy that overflows into the life of others today. Please fill me with a POP that others are drawn to, and as you do, give me the courage to speak JOY into their hearts! Amen.