Day 5 - Choosing joy

And Mary said,“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. -Luke 1:46-49

---

This week, we have been looking at the topic of the JOY we find as we are in God’s presence.

Joy in suffering as we know Jesus understands our suffering and will use it for good.

Joy in gratitude as we remember the goodness and mercy of God all around us.

Joy in salvation as our Heavenly Father restores us.

Joy in serving as we live our lives for others like Jesus did.

Even knowing much of what the Bible has to say about joy, we still must make a conscious choice if we want to choose to rejoice or not. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can embrace what God allows into our lives and choose to trust in Him or not. As Mary said in the above passage,

“For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.”

Mary had the choice to mourn the new state she found herself in when she conceived Jesus as a virgin or to consciously choose to rejoice in who God was and that he was mindful of her. And though she must have dealt with many conflicting feelings and emotions her ultimate choice was in a place of surrender and rejoicing.

Rejoice that God is mindful of you today! God knows you. He sees you. He loves you. He is with you. Rejoice in Him.

And when it is hard to choose joy, remember to sit at His feet. Be in His presence. In His presence, there is fullness of joy. He can restore your joy today.

---

Today’s Prayer:

God, thank you for all the ways you’ve blessed me throughout my life. Thank you, Jesus, for your example of living for others and finding joy in serving. Thank you for your promises and the hope I can find in coming to you to restore my joy. Help me continue to choose to rejoice in who You are and what you’ve done in my life. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Day 4 - Joy in serving

…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:2

---

Jesus endured a life of hardship and suffering for the joy that was set before Him. It was for others (us and all of mankind) that he endured the cross.

We are called to look to Jesus as our example. The founder and perfecter of our faith set an example for us of what it looks like to live a life that is all about serving others. And He demonstrated the joy that is found in putting others before yourself. May we find joy in the same way that Jesus did—by humbly and intentionally living for the good of those around us.

Serving others goes against the natural desires we have, and it requires us to choose to deny ourselves like Jesus did Himself in order to serve. Jesus said that He came not to be served but to serve. Of all people who have ever lived, Jesus was certainly the most deserving of being served than anyone else would ever be. But He CHOSE a life of serving others. In the same way, we need to choose a life of others first. Only then can we experience joy in the same way that Jesus modeled for us.

Today, consider how you might experience joy by serving those around you. This may look like serving those in your family at home (without expecting anything in return), serving in your church, or serving in your local community. Ask God to direct you to those around you that He would have you serve. And watch how living like Jesus in this way brings tremendous joy!

---

Today’s Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for the sacrificial life you lived and for enduring the cross for my sake. Thank you for the example you are for me of what it looks like to live sacrificially for those around me. Help me to serve others as you did, and help me to love as you love. Help me know what it’s like to find joy in putting others first, and give me the strength of your Holy Spirit to walk in Your ways today. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Day 3 - Joy in salvation

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. -Psalm 51:10-12

---

As we have been pursuing Jesus and His presence, a prayer like the one we read in Psalm 51 is a good way to ask God to show us what is truly in our heart. It is also a place to be reminded of who our God truly is in all His glory.

In verse 12 of Psalm 51, King David asks God to restore the joy of His salvation and to uphold Him. There are times in our lives where we need to ask God to restore our joy and give us strength to keep going.

God is a God who restores. He renews, redeems, and restores. He brings things back to life and makes beauty from ashes. The more you get to know the God of the Bible, the more you see His restorative and healing nature at work in the lives of His children.

If you are in need of restoration today, you can know that you are not alone. And it is a Biblical response to go to our Heavenly Father and simply ask Him to do what only He can do in your heart both to heal and to restore. Whether you’ve simply forgotten the wonder of salvation and the joy that comes from being in His presence or if you’ve simply been walking through a time of mourning and loss, you can ask God to restore what’s been lost.

And as the final words this verse say, “Uphold me with a willing spirit.” God is willing to lift us up, to hold us with His righteous right hand, to be strong when we are weak. Don’t be afraid to come before Him today in earnest prayer and ask for His restoring work in your heart.

---

Today’s Prayer:

God, create in me a clean heart today. Show me what is in my heart that is not pleasing or honoring to You, and help me to rely on your Spirit within me to walk in Your ways. I pray that you would restore the joy of my salvation today and help me remember who You are. Give me opportunities to remind those around me of the joy of knowing You, and being loved and saved by You. Thank you for being strong when I am weak. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Day 2 - Joy in gratitude

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! -Psalm 95:2

---

If we are lacking joy in our lives, chances are we may be struggling to find reasons to even give thanks. Giving thanks and being grateful can come easily during times where we’re already feeling happy and things are going great. But when things are hard, coming up with a reason to be thankful can feel impossible.

The Bible tells us that God is the Giver of all good gifts (James 1:17). And when we understand that the very air we breathe is a gift to us from God, our perspective may start to change. God surrounds us with signs of His grace. Even in the most painful seasons, God continues to follow us with his mercy and goodness (Psalm 23:6). We can read in the gospels of the many times Jesus Himself gave thanks to His Heavenly Father in the midst of a life we know to be filled with difficulties.

As we enter into God’s presence, remember to offer up a song of praise and thanksgiving for His many blessings in your life. God designed us for gratitude. It creates a pattern of thinking that fosters a mindset of joy regardless of circumstances. And if you are struggling to find joy in your life this moment, give thanks in spite of your feelings. Do it in faith. And trust that as you give a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God, the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, and peace.

---

Today’s prayer:

God, I want to give thanks for all of the many blessings you’ve given me today and throughout my life. Help me to see all the ways your goodness and mercy are all around me. Forgive me for forgetting to be thankful. Help me find joy in all the little things around me and the ways you provide and care for me. And thank you for continuing to help me grow in my relationship with You. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Day 1 - Joy in suffering

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. -Romans 5:3-5

---

We all go through suffering. It’s a hard truth, but one that Jesus didn’t shy away from during His time here on earth. The Bible talks a lot about suffering because it is a very real and difficult part of life. Even as a Christian, Jesus said that we would all experience hardship and loss.

Jesus Himself experienced tremendous suffering during his life, and not just in his death. He experienced hunger, fatigue, betrayal, and grief. He was misunderstood, gossiped and plotted against, slandered, beaten, and unjustly put to death. And yet, Jesus lived with joy. Jesus saw a greater picture. He lived in complete surrender and trust to the good will of His Heavenly Father. But this doesn’t mean that He didn’t feel sorrow and pain.

We can look to Jesus, not only as an example of how to rejoice in suffering, but we can also come to Him freely, knowing that He truly understands us. And when He tells us we can trust that God will use our suffering, we can believe Him.

Today’s scripture tells us that our suffering produces endurance, character, and hope. It also reminds us of the presence of the Holy Spirit and His love which has been poured into our hearts. We cannot forget that as we endure suffering, relying on the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit, God promises to use our suffering for good. Sometimes, when we look back, we can see how God has used the hard seasons in our life for good. And sometimes, we may not get to see this during our lifetime, but we can trust that God is with us. And He is faithful to His promises.

As we endure suffering, we can find joy knowing who God is. And as we spend time in His presence, we will experience true joy that only comes from knowing the goodness of God and the hope we have in Him. We will still walk through pain and hardship just like Jesus did, but we can rest in the joy of knowing Him.

---

Today’s prayer:

God, thank you for walking with me through every season of my life. As I go through seasons of suffering and hardship, please remind me of your promises. Help me remember who You are and that I can come to you with all of my pain and sorrow. Help me remember the joy I can have in you as I hope in You. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Week 2 - Joy

This week’s focus is on JOY. The Bible tells us that joy itself is a fruit of the Holy Spirit—joy is a promise from God for those who follow Jesus! There are many times in our lives where we may not feel happy; we all experience grief and sadness in our lives, but God’s promises remain the same. We can still find joy in the midst of hardship and suffering when we spend time in His presence.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

This week, as we look more closely at the joy we find in Christ, let’s remember to take time resting in God’s presence. Let’s ask God to help us to see Him for who He is. The joy that comes from simply being with God is unlike any other pleasure we may experience—and we all need this kind of joy—what the Bible calls “fullness of joy.”

This week, we will be looking more closely at what the Bible has to say about the JOY we find when we pursue Him in our daily devotionals, so follow along by clicking the links below.

---

Week 2: Joy

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Click here to read Day 1 - Joy in suffering

Click here to read Day 2 - Joy in gratitude

Click here to read Day 3 - Joy in salvation

Click here to read Day 4 - Joy in serving

Click here to read Day 5 - Choosing joy

---

Join us for our COMMUNITY PRAYER AND WORSHIP NIGHTS each Friday throughout the 21 Day Fast where we will focus on the theme for that week and spend time in worship and prayer together. This week’s gathering is hosted by Gospel Fellowship at 138 SE 27th Ave. Boynton Beach, FL 33435. Register and join us Friday, January 20th at 7pm.