May Your Joy Be Complete

Jesus’ last words to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion contain vital truths that He wanted us to know. His last words contain lessons that we need to live now. They tell us how to have a life of overflowing joy.

In this devotion, we’ve been reminded that God is our Gardener. He is all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. He knows what’s best for us! He is not delegating it to someone else.

God is our Gardener and is never more intimate than when He is pruning us! And His pruning, though painful, has a purpose. His pruning sends our roots deeper, as we trust Him more. And in His pruning, we see that we will bear more fruit for His glory. Our Gardener wants us to have love, peace, and joy that is overflowing. So we remember that our joy is found in His pruning.

We also remember that our joy is found in His presence. Jesus teaches us to abide in Him. To abide means to dwell, to remain, to stay. As we remain with Him, we experience His love and power in ways we’ve never experienced before.

And finally, we must also know that our joy comes from persevering in His command to love. As we love God, we will love others. And as we love others, we show God we love Him.

So there they are the 3 P’s of a life of overflowing joy: pruning, presence, and perseverance. They aren’t like secret words or magic formulas. It’s not a 3-step plan or a secret concoction. But rather, instructions from our Lord and Savior about how to live a life of joy on this earth. Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) Jesus gives us these instructions so that as we are walking through heartache, loss, or hatred, we can have complete, genuine, and overflowing joy!

Thank you for reading!

This plan was adapted from Overflowing Joy by Tara Dew. Click here to learn more or purchase your copy.