Joy...

How often do you hear people say, "Megan is so full of joy"? It's more like, "Megan seems so happy". That's because happiness and joy are two different things, and more often we see people temporarily happy, rather than consistently filled with joy. Happiness is more like a mood, meaning it can change at any given moment. It is our fleshly nature that we are happy when things are going our way and if they are not, then our flesh will surely show it. It’s temporary. Joy is much more than just a feeling. It is possessing great delight and gladness. I want internal joy, not external happiness. How about you?


The Bible is always making mention of being full of joy. Even, having abundance of joy and having fullness of joy. That gives me the impression that we can have joy that is complete and be filled to capacity with it. Have you ever had all the joy that you can hold, with room for nothing else? When the enemy throws his fiery darts at you or life’s circumstances try you, the joy you have produced will not allow these things to weigh on your emotions, or allow you to be filled with worry, doubt or fear...


So, how do we produce joy in our lives? You have joy unspeakable in the presence of the Father. That is, having joy on a level that is unable to be explained. That is the kind of joy that the world and the temporary things of this world cannot offer you. "You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11)." You can get in the presence of God by praising Him. The Word of God teaches us that God inhabits our praise. (Psalm 22:3). When you praise God, He is present. If you don’t know how to praise Him, the Bible even tells us how to praise God- just read Psalm 149. So, there is no excuse- if you want joy- there are detailed instructions on how to get it. Pursue it and use your joy as a witness of what God can produce in your life!


So after all of that let me explain something. I have been trying to look at my life and see why this past year has been so up and down…and why I have not been able to find Joy. So I did some reading and studying trying to find out what real Joy is and how I can find a way to bring Joy back into my life. And after this weekend I was able to find Joy again... and it was just as the word said it would be...I found joy when I was praising God...