February 11, 2025
~J O Y~
***Means you are to experience the Lord your Savior with great pleasure or delight***
Read Philippians 4
Key Verses: Philippians 4:4-5
4 “Always be full of JOY in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”
The JOY of the Lord is the type of emotion that you can’t force. You either have the JOY of the Lord or you don’t. If JOY is not exuding from every part of your being, it’s possible you haven’t tapped into the JOY of the Lord yet! JOY is the outward expression of what’s going on in your heart, your mind and your soul. When the Bible says to “Always be full of JOY,” what does that mean to you? And how do you express it?
Constant rejoicing is not something you should fake or pretend to feel. JOY and rejoicing is a byproduct of the belief, the trust and the love you have in the Lord. When you realize what He has done for you and you acknowledge His presence in your life, you can’t help but to have a sincere and ever present JOY within you.
When you express yourself first with the JOY you have received from the Lord, your actions will be much different, you will be much more considerate, and people will take notice. You have a message of Hope and by expressing the JOY that the Lord has given you, automatically your life points to your Savior. The hope you have that Jesus is returning one day to bring you home to Heaven is just one reason to be JOYFUL. As you dig into the Word of God you will begin to see more reasons to rejoice!
Consider what it says in Nehemiah 8:10c, “The JOY of the Lord is my strength…” So, no matter what you are going through today, your Joy, your Hope, your Strength comes from your Savior, nowhere else!
Prayer:
Dear Lord, some days I feel like I am forcing the joy I know I am supposed to have. Lord, my prayer today; I am asking for You to fill me with Your joy. I pray that I will not be able to contain the overwhelming joy I feel bursting deep from within me, because it’s Your presence that makes me joyful. Rejoicing and praising You Lord is how I should begin each day, and it is how I should end my day. Through my actions Lord I pray that Your presence within me would be evident to everyone I come in contact with. Thank You Jesus for Your joy, thank You Holy Spirit for filling me to overflowing! Amen.