I Choose Joy No Matter What

Does your level of joy depend upon a lucky roll of the dice?  What happens to your joy when the roll of the dice is not a winning roll -- when your checking account is overdrawn, when your children disappoint you, when your boss tells you that your job is being phased out, when the doctor says the prognosis is not good, when you get that call in the middle of the night?

If your joy is based upon circumstances, it can be gone in an instant, in the blink of an eye.

But if your joy is based upon knowing your Creator, the King of Kings, The Great I Am, then your joy will not fail when everything else does.

The joy God offers to us is always available, no matter what.  He loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die a cruel death on a cross in order that we may spend eternity with Him.  And that eternity begins the instant we accept His free love gift of salvation and apply it to our own sin-filled lives.   He loves us so much that He has made it possible for us to be adopted into His family, even though we can never measure up to His perfection.  As a part of his family, He calls us his children, His heirs.  And He promises us that He is with us and will never, ever leave us, no matter what.  His word tells us:

• There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1, 21st Century King James Version)
• And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. (Galations 3:29, New American Standard Bible)
• For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39, 21st Century King James Version)
• Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3, New American Standard Bible)
• Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn,  if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. (Psalm 139:7-10, New American Standard Bible)

God never promised us a life without difficulties.  As a matter of fact, His word assures us that we WILL face difficulties.  But he does promise us that He will be with us through them all, that He understands what we are facing, and that He will guide us, teach us, love us, and comfort us, no matter what.  If that doesn't bring you joy, then I can't imagine what would.

My prayer for you and for myself this week is taken from the last two verses of Psalm 139, verses 23 and 24 (New American Standard Bible):  Search me (and my readers), O God, and know (our) heart(s); try (us) and know (our) anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in (us), and lead me (and my readers) in the everlasting way (in the way You want us to go).