Joy For All SeasonsSample

The Word of God is a miraculous healing drug and is also a wise and faithful counselor. The very words found in the Bible are powerful vitamins of the very best kind! A daily injection of joy may be just what the Great Physician has ordered for your life. “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11) The joy is found wherever He is. He is in every sunrise and sunset. His presence is visible in the first flowers of spring and in the glorious leaves of fall. His voice is heard in the symphony of worship and in the giggle of a baby. He is found comforting widows and brokenhearted parents. He is there in the humdrum of daily life when the dishes are piled high, the laundry is mountainous, and the bills never end. He is there in unending days of loneliness and in the piles of tissues by your bed. When I am being overtaken by the deceit of my emotions, what I really need is more of Him. When my joy begins to fade and is replaced by loneliness or depression, I am gently reminded by the Holy Spirit, “Carol … if you are lacking joy ... guess who moved?” All the joy I will ever need this side of heaven is found in hanging out with Him. It is found when I relentlessly choose more of Him and less of me; it is found when I understand the value of intimacy with the Lover of my soul. If you need joy to be more practical than poetic, perhaps these suggestions will propel you toward the possibility of joy: Choose a Scripture that has the word “joy” in it and memorize it. Sing a favorite worship song. Whisper a prayer for someone other than yourself. Read your Bible for at least 5 minutes every day. Invite some people into your home to pray. Joy is a strenuous discipline that only the desperate are brave enough to choose. I must choose His presence in spite of the world that roars around me. The joy of His presence is guaranteed to fill you to overflowing and will give you the miraculous gift of abundant life. Joyful Thought to Ponder: Write out your definition of the word “joy.”