What If You Had Joy?

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word – it is distinctly different from anything else in the world.  Have you ever thought of this?  What if you had joy?  That job that’s not your dream job, it wouldn’t matter – you have joy!  You know that God has called you to work for Him today, and He’ll take care of the rest.  When it rains on your parade, it wouldn’t matter… you have joy!  When you’re tempted to take something someone says, the wrong way… it wouldn’t matter.  You have joy!  The exhilaration and pleasurable feelings of gaining something good that you have long desired or longed for. The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; a delight of the mind.  Like winning the lottery, or getting to the Final Four.  Can you imagine what it would be like to win the final four - the NCAA National Championship?  That feeling of pure joy and elation – of that lifelong dream realized!  That’s what joy is.  But you don’t have to win the Final Four or the lottery to get it.  God gives it.  He gives joy in the morning.  That means this morning, you can walk in joy – you can rejoice – take joy again and again, or you could think about the less than perfect situation you are in.  That’s all the time.  But joy doesn’t look at the imperfect conditions, it rejoices at the end.  The joy that God gives is completely separate from situation, predicament, threat or loss.  God wins, you’re saved! He has in store for you a crown of righteousness – if you will fear Him, and follow His steps.  Joy is what sets you apart.  It’s not dependent on circumstances, they don’t matter.  And you don’t have to work for it, you just receive it, and choose it.  You just rejoice, in the good that God is, the good that you already have, and the good that He promised.  Joy that He gives, isn’t what the world gives, that’s temporary and fades quickly.  The joy that He gives is eternal.  You receive it and continue to choose it, or you forget it and forfeit it.  Praying that you will take joy again and again.  That you will remember the joy that He has for you every morning, and never leave home without it.  Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic – Joy.  There’s nothing like His Word to establish your life in His good.  It’s where the joy comes from… you can choose it!
 
Love you all,
dad