“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:22
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24
Joy is not a physical or material thing that you can purchase in your favorite store. It is not just an emotion or even love; it is something you feel within yourself. Everyone experiences Joy in a different way. For me I feel Joy every day when I wake up. Believe it or not but even on my worst days, when my body feels like it was run over by a truck I still feel Joy. Why? Well because I woke up to face another day, I’m still here to do whatever comes along for me to do. But most of all it’s because I know that I am not alone on this journey called life. And as much as I love Jose, he is not the one I am referring to. I am referring to God and Jesus.
To me they are pretty much one in the same, Jesus is God in the flesh who died for me so that I could be closer to Him. Either way I am never alone and even on my worst days there is Joy all around me, I just have to look for it a little harder on the bad days.
In today’s world chaos, violence, disasters, etc. are the things the world talks about the most. But even in all this chaos there is Joy in the midst. There are good things happening every day and there are miracles happening all around us. The ‘bad’ things try to outshine the good but if you take the time to look underneath all the chaos you will find good within. You will find joy even in all the ‘bad’.
Joy cannot be taken away from you unless you let it be taken away. It says so in John 16:22 and it is always replenished according to John 16:24! Let the Joy of knowing that God loves you fill your tank and pour out that Joy to others filling their tank! Showing love, kindness, compassion, and understanding to others not only fills their “Joy” tank but yours as well! Take it from a ‘crazy old lady’ who prays and crochets and feel Joy every day!
Prayer:
God, I pray for all to feel your Joy and to keep it close to their hearts. May they be filled with your Joy and spread it to others so that they may be filled with your Joy as well. Keep them all safe and healthy and give them the peace and comfort that only you can give, letting them know they are never alone. In the name of your son Jesus, I pray your will be done. Amen
Author: Bernice Barnes
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