Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Is it possible to have a joy-filled life on a daily basis? I have been taking time to discover what the joyful life in Jesus looks like. How can we truly experience this? Is there a way to stay joyful when life gets crazy? Can we experience joy on a daily basis even in the midst of chaos?
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)
Live It Out
I absolutely love this verse and the feeling it provokes in my heart. I don’t think you can read this verse without experiencing a burst of joy. The words captivate me and describe a beautiful picture to me.
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (Psalm 126:3)
There is a huge difference between joy and happiness. You can experience joy without feeling happy, but you can’t experience happiness without being joyful.
Happiness is a feeling that changes with the emotions we have in a day, but joy is a constant state of being that we choose.
Be joyful always. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
Live It Out
Is it possible to always be joyful? I like to think so! But joy is a choice. I wake up daily with a choice to make. I can choose to be joyful because of who God is and know that no matter what my circumstances will pass in time or I can choose to dwell on the negative. I can choose to dwell on things that don’t bring joy. The choice is mine! And God will never force me to choose joy!
Joy is like a well containing sweet water. It is not enough to know the water is there or even to drill the well. If the well is to be useful, the water must be brought to the surface. Those who know Christ have found the source of joy. (Ron Hembree)
You can find this quote and much more on Joy in my new book Joyful Living.