Choose Joy
Theme of the week: Experience God's Powerful Promises
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
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Key Bible Verse: Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) Dig Deeper: Psalm 16:8-11
The Bible promises us an enduring joy that we can experience through the ups and downs of life. Psalm 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy" (NKJV). Can you even imagine what fullness of joy in your life would look like? Does that sound too good to be true? It isn't.
The truth is, joy is not just an emotion we feel when things are going well. That is better described as happiness. We tend to mistake happiness for joy. Happiness depends on our circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is independent of our circumstances.
Galatians 5:22 tells us that joy is a fruit of God's Spirit. Because joy comes from God, only he, not circumstances, can give it. Because he has already chosen to make his joy available to us, it is actually something we can experience at all times. Believe it or not, joy isn't just a feeling—it's a choice! That is why [today's Key Bible Verse] can instruct us to always be full of joy.
Do you believe you can ever experience the fullness of God's joy? As incredible as it may seem, this is just another example of the fullness of life God wants you to experience.
—Mike Guzzardo in All In
My Response: I will read today's Dig Deeper, reflecting on the reasons for the psalmist's joy.
Thought to Apply: Joy is only real if people look upon their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.—Leo Tolstoy (Russian novelist)
Adapted from All In (Moody, 2011) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2013 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Dear heavenly Father, thank you for all of your powerful and life-changing promises; forgive me when I fail to believe your promises are true for my life; show me how to experience your promises more fully and consistently.
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