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“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” I Peter 1:8 (ESV)

“What happened?  Or better yet, who did this?  Questions echoing in the crisp autumn air.  The dissolve of my vibrant yellow and purple mums begged for an answer.  What looked absolutely breathtaking hours earlier had mysteriously transformed into ugly.  And those sweet little Bambi creatures in my yard had to be the ones devouring my plants.

Hate to admit it but I was totally wrong.  The easy target was to blame the obvious – we all know deer love chewing on mums.  No brainer here, but they aren’t the ones nibbling my blooms away.  Sitting at my kitchen counter, I glanced out my window and caught the real culprit – one big burley groundhog.  Head buried into my mums, he was enjoying his buffet at my expense.

Sound familiar – there are lots of easy targets in my path every day.  The button pusher driving me crazy, crazy.  Knowing exactly when and how to strike.  The untrained store clerk who is taking too much time ringing up my groceries.  The car in front of me driven by a road rageaholic determined to beat me to the best parking space.  All moving targets of my frustration and stealers of my joy.

No mystery here – the real culprit is not them but me.  When I allow circumstances and people to rob me of joy then my joy is misplaced.  I’m relying on others to do and be exactly what works well for me.  And I’m excusing self at the expense of blaming others – the obvious ones who are causing my frustration.

True joy is not contingent on how we feel in the moment – that sweet friend is simply “happy.” Happy is a fleeting emotion.  Lots of things and people can deter our happy.  We can be happy one moment and then frustrated within moments.  It’s a roller coaster ride for sure.  But joy that’s a steadiness of our soul dependent not on our circumstances but  a rock solid trust in the One who fills us with joy unending.

So what does God’s word say about joy:

The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)
God’s protection produces joy (Psalm 5:11)
Joy is found in the presence of the Lord (Psalm 21:6)
We are to make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalm 95:2)
Those who sow peace have joy (Proverbs 12:20)
A joyful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22)
I will take joy in the God of my salvation (Habakkuk 3:18)
There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10)
God fills us with all joy and peace (Romans 15:13)
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
Our joy can be complete (I John 1:4)

Wow, I don’t know about you, but my joy tank is overflowing.  God’s word infuses us with joy reminders. When we cling to His truths, we can’t help but be filled with His inexhaustible joy.
“Father, You are the source of all joy in our lives – a joy that fills us and overflows to impact others.  May we never settle for happy, but rather choose to allow Your Spirit to produce joy fruit in abundance.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life