“But let all who take refuge in You rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread Your protection over them,
that all who love Your name may be filled with joy.” ~ Psalm 5:11, NLT
“When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” ~ John 15:10-11, NLT
“I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.” ~ Psalm 16:8-9, NLT
There is a Difference Between Happiness and Joy
Lord, You are my light and my salvation, the Rock on which I stand. You are my strength, my peace … You are my joy, Lord.
I understand there is a difference between happiness and joy. I understand happiness is superficial — circumstantial — and that joy remains steadfast, deep within me because it is born of Your presence.
But goodness gracious, I sure could use a good laugh, the kind that causes tears of release to stream down my face — laughter so long and intense that my facial muscles ache. Please help me find robust laughter again.
I would have given up hope if I didn’t trust I would see Your goodness in the land of the living. It’s Your goodness that allows me to experience Your joy in the face of such adversity — to laugh, to rejoice … to hope.
You are my joy, Lord. The world cannot rob me of my joy. And Your joy is more than a quiet, inner sense of well-being. Your joy is exuberant because of Your presence in my life. I am in this world, not of it. And though things are difficult and frightening, though evil is so very prevalent and the world as I have known it is slipping away, I can rejoice in You because You are my God.
You are faithful.
You are compassionate and kind.
You are sovereign over all things.
And You are my God who sees me and knows all about it.
Therefore I can find my joy in You. In the joy, praise erupts and in the praise, You draw near and we laugh together, we dance, we love … And I am renewed by Your grace and strengthened to carry on.
You Are My Joy, Lord … Always
Bless You, Lord.
I will joy in the God of my salvation all my days. Your love will never fail me, Your joy will never allow sorrow to overwhelm me. My hope is in You.
In the Name of Jesus, I pray,
Amen ~ let it be so
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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
