I am thankful for joy.

Philippians 4:4-5

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.”

It doesn’t take much effort to hear about how bad our world is. Just turn on the news and it is there right away. It doesn’t matter what media you choose or even where you get your news from. Bad news is always the lead. TV, radio, online, or even your social media feed, it seems like it is all so heavy. Recently it has been Afghanistan, COVID, natural disasters, government corruption, and people just being mean to one another. It is easy to wonder where God is in all this and to get overwhelmed.

But…we hear throughout Scripture that God is present with us and if we pause and take notice, God constantly brings joy into our lives. There is the story of the kind stranger. There is the news of new born baby. There is the beauty of God’s creation. There is the smile of a loved one. Turn off the news. Go outside and take a walk. Call a friend and catch up. Open your Bible. There is joy to be found all around you.

Prayer

Merciful God, it is easy to get caught up in the bad news. Thank You for being with me in the hard parts of life and in the joyous moments. Thank You for the gift of joy. May I seek to find joy in You today. Thank You for all Your blessings. In Your name I pray, Amen.