Complete Joy

This morning as I sat in my chair and had some quiet time, my mind was struggling to stay focused. The busyness of the last few days has tried to steal my joy and my focus. If I allow my feelings and emotions to take over then my family could really pay the price. It is such a hard balancing act to not let what we feel take over. And usually those closest to us take the brunt of those emotions.


As is usually the case, my devotions and journal just conveniently happened to focus on just what I was feeling. Don't you love when God does that? Very quickly, His perspective changed mine.


This is the quote that was in my journal this morning:
"Where the soul is full of Peace and Joy, outward surroundings and circumstances are of comparatively little account." ~ Hannah Whitall Smith


When we are tired or hurt or confused or just angry, our surroundings can overwhelm our emotions. It becomes very difficult to put things in perspective in the heat of our circumstances. Worldly thinking takes over and we react out of how we feel. But true Joy is not a feeling. It is a belief. It is a part of who we are.


My devotion this morning reminded me that God does not change. He is the same. He is the same God from yesterday. He will be the same God today. He will remain the same God forever. That is what we need to focus on. He is Emmanuel. God with us.


"If you live on the surface of life by focusing on ever-changing phenomena, you will find yourself echoing the words of Solomon: 'Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!'"


People are going to let us down. We are going to disappoint others. Especially those closest to us. Hard things are going to come. Sickness and hurt and death will be a part of our lives at some point on this earth. But we can choose to allow our soul to be full of Joy. Complete Joy. The kind that rises above the circumstances and the emotions. That looks up and cries out for help.


Today, I pray that you are filled down deep in your soul with complete Joy. Hold His hand today. Grasp it tight. He will make your paths straight. And as He meets our place of need today, let's spread our Joy to those around us. I don't want to let my emotions rule my day. It is a choice. Let's build each other up and live out of the complete Joy that is made available to us by a never-changing, all-knowing and abundantly-loving God.

"So encourage each other and build each other up,

 just as you are already doing."

1 Thessalonians 5:11