“Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”— Isaiah 12:6
Author Leo Buscaglia tells an inspiring story about his mother and their “misery dinner.” Leo’s father came home one night from work, and he told the family that it was likely his company would have to file for bankruptcy because one of his partners had stolen a large amount of money and disappeared.
So Leo’s mother went out and sold most of her jewelry for money to buy food for a huge feast. Many of her friends, and even family, chided her for this apparently reckless act. But she told them, “The time for joy is now, when we need it most.”
Joy seems to elude so many today. And when we try to discern why that is, the reason inevitably comes back to our circumstances. So we fall into the trap of associating our joy with our happy circumstances, and reason that if things aren’t going well, then we can’t have joy.
But joy goes much deeper than happiness. It’s that innate sense that in everything that really matters—namely your salvation in Christ—you’ve already won. The war is over and there’s no more need to struggle to find fulfillment. Rest in that truth today, knowing that in Christ the joy of victory is yours forever.
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to restore your joy by making you more aware of the victory you have in Him.
Questions for thought
On a scale of one to ten, what would you say is the level of joy you’re experiencing today?
If you didn’t say ten, is it your circumstances that are keeping you down?
How can you apply today’s truth to help you experience full joy?