“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy.” Colossians 1:11
We are living in a time where people are more anxious than ever, in need of hope, discouraged, and struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Research tells us that since the pandemic all these issues have exploded. I am concerned that many have lost their joy.
I am sure that many who will read this devotion find themselves in need of regaining their joy. There is no self-help formula that will help us do that. That is why I love Colossians 1:11 above. The only one who can help us regain our joy is God himself.
Paul in this verse is praying for these people that they will be strengthened with God’s power so that they will have endurance and patience and that they be filled with His joy. What about you? Are you experiencing the joy that only God can give?
If you are not, I pray that you will hear what the Lord has to say regarding joy. First, I love what C.S. Lewis said about joy - “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”
Think about it, joy is so important to the Lord that He established it as one of the fruits of the Spirit He desires to give us. Galatians 5:22 tells: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”
How do we get this fruit from him? We align ourselves in relationship with Him. We prioritize our relationship with Him over everything else and He will give us this fruit. This fruit of joy exceeds any happiness. Happiness is dependent on circumstances but the joy that the Lord gives is a sustaining peace and knowledge that the Lord has us!
Do you have the joy of the Lord today? If not, it is time to cry out to God and draw into relationship with Him that He might give you His joy and His peace. Don’t miss out on what God wants to give us as His children.
I love what Nehemiah 8:10 says about joy - “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”
Life is hard at times. We need His strength for the journey. I pray today for those of you who are in a joyless period that you will lean into the only One who can give you the strength and endurance you need and that you will truly begin to experience the joy of the Lord.