Choose Joy In God’s Presence
This phrase comes to my lips, and brain often. Most of the time when I am gritting my teeth, chewing my nails, tapping my foot or closing the car door a little bit too firmly. I know that God has blessed me greatly, I get that everyone has tough seasons and that while I am not going to be “happy” every moment, I can always “choose joy”.
“You teach me the way of life. In your presence is total celebration.
Beautiful things are always in your right hand. “
Psalm 16:11 (Common English Bible)“You make known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal joys in your right hand.”
Psalm 16:11 (New International Version)“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and
the privilege of living with you forever.
Psalm 16:11 (New Living Translation)
Three translations. All three of them speaking of the celebration and joy we find in His presence.
What catches my interest when I read this in relation to my own frustration or stress with life in general, is the connection between our joy and the presence of God. We walk in the path of life that God has taught us, and what He continues to show us along the way. As we walk the path, we aren’t
exempt from something blocking the road, the enemy, a washout or the brokenness of our own lives.
I must admit to you that I don’t walk around spreading “joy” everywhere I go. I am fairly sure that sometimes I am spreading the angst of my inner heart, the stress that I can feel coming from every pore, and the worry that comes from knowing I don’t have all things figured out.
I also admit, that in the presence of the Almighty God, I find peace for my angst, calmness for my stress and a reminder that I am not the General Manager of the Universe – therefore I do not have to have everything figured out this moment.
Perhaps you, like me, aren’t feeling the joy when YOU are shutting the car door too firmly, or are feeling anxious about the difficult situations in your life. As we journey together, let’s encourage each other to remember that we can be in His presence at any time. In a quick moment, we can focus our heart and mind on Christ Jesus, seeking joy for this moment, this stress, this situation.
Don’t forget to be in prayer for our students, Pastor Shawn and his staff as they celebrate their retreat at Riverview Camp this weekend. Let’s covenant together to pray for a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit for our kids.
Be blessed as you experience this week. I’ll see you on Sunday as we worship with the family.
-Pastor Danene