And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
Being able to have joy in the storm seems like an impossibility.
How can you find joy when everything around you is falling apart?
It just doesn’t make sense?
Well, my friends, there are many things in our Christian walk that just doesn’t make sense.
The first shall be last and the last shall be first.
To be a leader you must serve.
Tithe 10% of your money and God will bless the 90% to exceed the 100%.
So having joy in the middle of your storm – while it doesn’t make sense – fits perfectly into God’s kingdom because it doesn’t make sense.
What does joy in the Lord mean?
To find out what joy in the Lord means, let’s first look at what the word joy means.
According to Webster’s dictionary, joy means “to experience great pleasure or delight”.
In this life, there is only one source of joy that’s lasting – one source that will never end…
Jesus.
He’s the only way we can have lasting joy not only through our storms, but just in life altogether!
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3
What the Bible says about the joy of the Lord?
To find the root of what the joy of the Lord is, let’s go to the source of our faith…the Word!!
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5
My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.
Psalm 71:23
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Psalm 28:7
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory
1 Peter 1:8
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Where does the joy of the Lord come from?
Having joy in life is something that we all crave…something we all strive for.
But how exactly do we obtain joy? Is it possible to actually walk in joy daily? What is the key?
Well my friends, I have good news for you! I know exactly where you can get joy.
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11
The source of our joy is found in God’s presence.
When we spend time with him, we will receive fullness of joy. Not just a little bit of joy, we’ll be FULL of joy.
And not only will we receive joy, but by spending time with Jesus we’ll also find these things:
- The path of life
- Pleasures forevermore
So not only will you be filled to the brim with joy, but you’ll also find the path that leads to life and pleasures that last forever.
But we don’t just find these things lying around. We have to intentionally spend time with Jesus.
I don’t know about you, but my quiet time with Jesus can sometimes be hard to find time for. It’s something we all know we need to do, but a lot of times this gets pushed down and down on our to do list.
So being intentional is so important. Schedule it in. Make it a priority.
If you want to experience the fullness of joy (plus all the other benefits that come with it), then spending time with Jesus has to be a priority!
See this devotion for different ways you can have a quiet time.
So other than spending time with Jesus, what are some ways you can experience joy on a daily basis?
How do I fill my life with joy?
1. Stop scrolling.
Nothing can steal your joy like scrolling through social media.
Seeing people going on vacations while you’re struggling to even buy groceries.
Seeing mamas holding babies while you’re having month after month of negative pregnancy tests.
Seeing happy couples smiling at each other while you haven’t talked to your spouse in months.
So my challenge to you is to stop the scroll. Go live life.
Spend time with your husband talking on the couch.
Play a board game with the kids.
Take your pup for a walk.
Go outside and work in the garden.
If there’s one thing that losing Sam taught me, it’s that this life is so very short. Spend it with the people that really matter!
2. Make room for a passion project
We all work. And while we’re all thankful for our job and the money it brings in to pay the bills, I bet that most of you can’t say that your work is what you’re passionate about.
What I want you to do right now is think of something that lights you up. Something that excites you. And go do it!
It doesn’t have to be a side hustle. It doesn’t have to bring in extra money. (Although you definitely could turn your passion projects into a side hustle.)
I want you to focus on the joy it brings you (not the money).
3. Volunteer
Nothing brings joy like helping others who are having a hard time in life. And volunteering is a great family activity!
Here are some ideas of ways you can volunteer:
True joy comes from serving others.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. -Hebrews 13:16
4. Go outside
I’m a huge fan of going outside. Being in nature makes me feel so close to God and Sam.
Related: 5 Ways to Remember God’s Blessings Daily
Going outside and taking a deep breath in will feel you with such peace.
Lace on your sneakers and go for a walk. Leash your pup up and walk around the neighborhood. Or take your kids on a nearby hiking trail.
Step outside, close your eyes friends and feel close to our Maker!
5. Be present
This is a big one for me and one that I’m trying to work on. Being present in the moment.
Not thinking about tomorrow or the next month or the next season of life.
Being here, right now, with the people I love.
Because this moment…this moment I’ll never get again.
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