Father’s Love: 30 Days of Discovering God as FatherSample

Day 19 – A Source of Joy

Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV) says, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Father God is joy. His joy gives you strength and teaches you to be joyful even when the situation you’re in doesn’t call for joy. Joy is different from happiness. Joy is a deep internal feeling that you possess even in the midst of chaos and happiness is based on circumstances.

That is why one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22-23), because I believe it is only through the Holy Spirit that your heavenly Father gives joy that helps you navigate the good and bad seasons of life.

I believe Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) is a perfect picture of joy. It says, “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.” Jesus being God who knows all things past, present and future, and knew how much he was going to suffer, chose joy in order to reconcile mankind back to God through a painful, horrible, torturous death.

Think of a negative situation you’re facing right now, thank Father for help and by faith, worship and dance and praise God for fixing that situation. Thank Him for giving you joy that makes no sense.

Read, internalize, and pray each scripture to deepen your faith.