J-O-Y

I’ve been home less than a week and each day I see more and more hints of how I changed and what I learned during my DTS. Today I went to church and the message was about joy. The pastor was talking about how during the Christmas season we see the word ‘joy’ everywhere but do we really know what that word means? Often times we try to find our joy in people, possessions, possibilities, and places. We think other people will make us happy, only to realize they eventually let us down. We think the next great thing will bring us to the next great level of happiness…only to realize there’s another ‘next great thing’ and our happiness dwindles. And then we say, “If only such and such would happen, then I would be more joyful”. Or, “Maybe if I go to this new place and start over I’ll find true happiness.” But we fail to recognize that our only true source of lasting joy is God alone. In every season God is with us, never failing, never changing. He understands us…in every season. And He cares about us…in every season. He won’t let us down. There’s not ever going to be a newer model of God that requires us to buy the next upgrade. We don’t have to move to another state to start over with God, He takes us as we are wherever we are. Do you know that? Do you know that you can find joy in God no matter what your circumstances? Today at church I realized that I learned all of that in the last five months. Before I went to Costa Rica I didn’t understand that I could find joy in God no matter what. My circumstances, my mood, everything around me could determine whether or not I could be happy. I’ve learned that God is always the same….never changing. He’s good ALL the time and ALL the time HE IS GOOD! He’s worthy of my joy because in Him there is no bad. I love what 1 Peter 1:8 says, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”. It’s true. He fills me with an inexpressible and glorious joy. I can be unhappy with things going on around me. I can be uncertain about the future. I can be sad, frustrated, or angry but still find joy in Him. Earthly things do not define my joy. My joy is in the Lord because He is constant and therefore ALWAYS good just like it says in Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is GOOD!” It doesn’t mean that I won’t have down times or even that I will feel joyful all the time but what it does mean is that I can look to God and know that life is good and I can have joy despite anything else because in Him there is no bad. The Word says He is good and God cannot contradict Himself therefore He is GOOD no matter what we think, feel, or experience….therefore true joy can be found in Him and He is WORTHY of my joy!