JOY

JOY! What does that word mean to you? Personally, in the past when I heard the word joy, I would think happiness and only in good times. As of late, I actually think something else.

This past Sunday during our church service when the advent candles were lit was when I realized it deep down. The third week of advent is JOY and sitting there and listening to the reading I realized that it is possible even in hard times to have joy. Even when you are sad you can have joy. Do you know how I know this? Because it has happened to me personally. It is happening to me as I type! That is how I know.

These past couple of months have been quite difficult for my family, but I can tell you through it all I stayed grounded in God and sitting in church on Sunday I realized I had joy because of that. Because of my constant pursuit of God I was still joyful even in the midst of our storm. Sure there were days were I was so sad, but something deep within my soul kept telling me I had some sort of hope and this hope I know was joy. Joy in knowing God has a plan. A beautiful plan. A plan that is still unfolding for my family. No matter how bad it was, will be, or not be, I know I can rejoice. I can rejoice in His plan! I can rejoice in the good and in the bad because I have Jesus and He has me! That is JOY!

So JOY for me is different now.

I know I can be full of joy and not be happy. Why? Because of the greatest Christmas gift EVER! The gift of the birth of the Christ baby! He is the good news of GREAT JOY! He is the the answer to our greatest needs, desires, and wants. He is our JOY! Even in the midst of pain, poverty, problems, persecutions, hatred, whatever evil it is, He is our JOY!

So the next time you find yourself in the midst of a storm and someone says something or you see something that makes you smile or laugh, know that is the sign that while you may be suffering, grief and pain have not choked the life out of you and you do have JOY and you can have greater JOY if you will allow Christ into your heart! Allow Him in and violently and ferociously pursue Him and see the joy that you can experience even when your heart is hurting.

Have you experienced God in the midst of a storm? If you have not, I want to challenge you today to find a daily devotional and open your heart to the idea of spending 15 minutes daily with your devotional and with God and see what joy will come your way daily. Even when the tide is low…..I promise the tide will rise again and you will be OK! Especially if you have Jesus in your heart!

Until Next Time!

XO,

Amy

The One Year Book of Hope (One Year Books)

By Nancy Guthrie

Buy on Amazon

This is my daily devotional….I LOVE it! Get it and just read one page a day and watch what happens! I dare you!