
The joy of the Lord is not an outward shower, but an inward pump.
It may not keep a perpetual smile on your face but it will keep you going when you naturally ought to faint.
It will take you to church when you feel like God has forgotten you.
You will find yourself still working in the house of God at a time when you feel like your prayers are not being answered.
You will catch yourself singing absentmindedly along with the radio, a church in your neigbourhood, or all by yourself even in your most dreary day.
It is the little strength that carries you through the toughest of times;
The flickering hope that keeps you alive in the face of harsh tribulations;
That one tiny feeling that somehow; it may all make sense in the end…
Out of the blues it reminds you of a song that has a special meaning to you
It replays in your mind’s eye an awesome experience you once had with God
It brings to the fore somebody’s testimony; a verse of scripture; a line from a sermon from long ago…
It causes you to suddenly remember and smile (to the wonderment of those around you)…
It puts your feet to crazy dancing in the absence of any physical music.
It encourages you to rise up in the morning after spending the night weeping.
It arouses you to do good for someone else even as you hope that your own help is on its way…
It is the joy of the Lord…
So my dear sister, my beloved brother,
Just because you are not laughing ‘247’
Or grinning from ear to ear
Or singing joyful songs at every impulse
Does not mean you lost your joy.
In Christ, our joy is never lost
For it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit – indeed, the very first one mentioned by the good saint, after love…
If you still ask God why
If you still wonder what God has to say in the midst of what you are going through
If you still have the urge to do the right thing in the face of your fears
If your heart still worships even while your eyes are filled with tears…
Then my dear, you truly truly love him with your heart
And the spring of joy – God’s great joy – still bubbles inside you
You shall soon be saved by it. (Isaiah 12)
-Sista Mercie
#TheJoyOfTheLord #LiveOneMoreDay #LiveToday
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