SOUL AWAKENING JOY
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever!
Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)
Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll be problem-free. For years, I believed Jesus came to make me happy, but the truth is He came to make me holy. Happiness is a good thing, but it’s fleeting. Happiness is conditional to your circumstances. Joy, however, is a posture of the soul. It’s a disposition that the Spirit supernaturally gives to those who follow Him. Think about verses like Hebrews 12:2 (NIV), … For the joy set before Him He endured the cross… Jesus couldn’t have happiness about going to the cross because His circumstances weren’t great, however, He had joy because the Spirit of God was filling Him. God is the most joyful being in the universe, so He desires us to have that joy. Joy, though in that sense, is found not in the circumstances but in Christ alone.
It’s important to note that suffering is temporary, as the psalmist says. We’ll all face seasons of difficulty, but the Spirit will use those circumstances to unleash greater levels of joy if we keep our eyes on God. You have two options with pain. The first is to suppress it and pretend it doesn’t exist. The problem with this approach is that it’s like holding a beach ball underwater. At some point, it will surface with anger, addictions, distractions or busyness. The other option is to face it. Speak to it with God and others. Don’t keep hiding it. Instead, bring it to the light. This is especially hard for guys to do; however, the result is a soul at peace. A soul filled with joy. It isn’t weak to face your pain. It’s actually courageous. It’s way easier to run fast and suppress things, but then you never find the freedom you were made for. When you face pain, think of it like the night; it will be over soon, and from that pain, joy will emerge in the morning. You can’t skip or suppress the night. You must enter in. The nights are a reality in this life, but those who face the night with the Spirit of God will find that they have a soul awakening joy in the morning. God is faithful to walk with us in every season. Remember that.
APPLICATION: Bring others and God into your highs and lows.
PRAYER: Ask the Spirit to help you follow Him in every area. If you’re in a good season, then thank Him. If you’re in a difficult season, share what you’re feeling and then thank Him that joy is around the corner and that you’ll get through this, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?