Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! May you enjoy some restful time! The Lord has provided above what I could ask or think about this time away as we are having great times with the grandsons, and deep times together with Mark and Andrea. I may just write about it and send it out to you on Monday!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What gave you joy as a child growing up? What picture comes to mind? I think my favorite thing was to be by the quiet lake and lay in the sun with a yummy book to read and an apple to munch. I could stay there for hours, and recently I had to pay the consequences with putting an anticancer cream on my face each night for a month to rid the precancer cells. But real true joy is not found in perfect circumstances and responding to outward things, but instead comes from within by experiencing the presence of the Lord.
We discover that deep down joy is not found out there in the world that we need to go look for it, but it is rather already here in our life with the Lord. When we come to know Him, we experience a depth of joy that is hard to describe, and it energizes us and is a fruit of the Spirit. It doesn’t have to do with our outward circumstances or our station in life at all, for Paul had joy even when he was in prison. I read today how Habakkuk expresses all the things that were not ideal for him, like no fruit on the vines or herds in the stalls etc. but then says, “yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation.” (Hab 3:18) Our list might look different as we may say, “Even if I lose my job, even if my health deteriorates, even if my children reject me…yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” When we choose Jesus, we choose joy!
Maybe our present life circumstances seem disappointing, and we may ask the Lord to help us find joy in the midst of it all. Some may try spiritual practices, spend more time in scripture and time in nature; or slow down and give more attention to the Lord. Our true joy is found as we connect with the Lord each day and surrender ourselves to all that He puts before us. There is joy in obedience even when we don’t understand His ways at the time.
Challenge for today: Begin each day with the Lord and then just bask in His love and let the joy bubble up.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
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