Joy filled
by Verena Johnson
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The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy (Psalm 26:3).
Read Psalm 126
As a girl, I remember my mother making me write happy thank-you letters to people after Christmas and birthdays. Sometimes, I wasn’t all that happy or thankful, though.
My heart wasn’t exactly filled with joy by embroidered handkerchiefs, crocheted coat hangers, school socks, undies or hair ties. Once, there was even a strawberry pin cushion that I had no idea what to do with. Another time, it was a tissue box cover, which wound up covering a brick as a doorstop. To my mind, these were not great things, and the letters were hard to write.
Thank you for your terrible, weird, interesting, strange, practical gift.
What a difference it made when I was truly appreciative and joyful about a gift.
The Lord has done great things for us. He has rescued us, saved us and restored us to his family as his beloved children. There are countless gifts and blessings that he showers on us every day. So, we should be filled with joy all the time or at least most of the time.
Interestingly, with everything God has done for us in the past and is doing for us now, we can still take him for granted. We can adopt a ‘ho-hum’ attitude or even feel entitled instead of bursting with joy and thankfulness.
We can also be distracted from seeing the goodness of God by the world around us or our circumstances and struggles.
The truth is that I do not always feel filled with joy. But then I remember that my joy is not based on my feelings. It is based on my relationship with God and the hope I have in him. That hope is true, steadfast and sure. When I take my eyes off the things that rob me of my joy or do not feel happy about and turn to God, I find my joy in him.
Read through the Scripture, and you will find joy. Remember God’s promises to us. Think about what Jesus has done for us and all the things he went through for us. Spend time with God and allow the Holy Spirit to grow the fruit of joy in you as you do.
Gracious God, you have been so good to me. You have done great things for me. Please help me to lift my eyes to you and away from the things in my life that rob me of my joy. Please fill me with your joy today by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA’s Church Worker Support team, through which it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of the LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer ministry. She has three children and nine grandchildren in three different states.
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