Intro to 10 Minutes to Joy

It was a week where everything seemed to be in question. Relationships were tense, hearts were broken, behavior patterns from adults (including myself), and children were less than desirable, and hope felt dim as uncertainty and doubt crept into our hearts and home. 

Why does life have to be SO heavy right now? The pandemic, the fear of the future, the restlessness, the lack of steadiness was getting to all of us, and maybe you too.

I just could not, for the life of me, come to a place of joy. It felt so far away and impossible with all of the unsettled craziness going on in the moment. 

My usual go with the flow self easily locates the good in tough places. Finding hope in hard times had become an important part of who I was becoming as I lived my life surrendered to Jesus.

I  was finding my worth and stability in Him and not anyone or anything else.

I remember giving up one afternoon and began to turn my worry into worship. I found a quiet place to put on my playlist and prayed, “Jesus be my source of joy today. I feel alone, defeated, and I need your hope.” - and He did.

Sometimes it takes life coming to a complete pause to fix our eyes on truth that will never disappoint. He began to calm my heartache and reminded me that in Him, I can have fullness of joy despite my circumstances. I can have fullness of joy especially when I am not enough - He is everything I need forever.

I sat down with my Bible and took His wisdom to heart. In Psalm 16:11, David says,

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” 

David had experienced every hard thing from danger to uncertainty. He walked through many wilderness moments and his reign as King was not a cakewalk either - it was there that he received opposition and struggle. 

Did you know that God will always meet us as we turn to the Bible for comfort, for help, for encouragement, for lasting truth?

You see, the feeling of joy is fleeting. 

Joy is not born out of happy or perfect circumstances.

It does not arrive when relationships are intact or when you finally reach your dreamy way of life. 

Joy is found from understanding what is true about the character of who God is and who I am in Him when I am found in Him.

Do you ever experience an awful week that you wish you could forget? The kind where everything is harder than normal, where conversations elevate out of discouragement, and where joy doesn’t appear to be in your future at all. You’re not alone friends, we all have. In fact, some of us may be living that reality TODAY.

Come along on a journey to discover the faithfulness of God through the words of the psalmist no matter what is going on in your heart or home.

Written by: Jenny Howell