Finding Joy
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“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God…” (Psalm 40:3).
As we listen to the people around us and even to our own thoughts and words, it seems that it is time to look afresh for the song in our hearts. God is the one who puts the music of hope and peace and love into our hearts and He alone enables us to navigate the twists and turns of life with true joy that is not conditional on our circumstances.
Time in His presence is the very first thing we need in finding afresh the music of our hearts.
There are also 5 simple, practical steps we can add to our days and encourage others to as we seek to lead those around us to higher ground.
L……Leisure
Make sure you schedule some leisure time for yourself. Especially in the midst of economic change it is important to look away from the pressures now and then and find some refreshing leisure activity. Get creative. Make it simple. Take the kids for a hike, cook a meal with your partner, have some friends over to play a game and laugh together, build something. Give yourself permission to take little leisure breaks. It may seem trivial to think of it now, but it can become a lifeline during stressful times. It will also help kindle the relationships that sometimes get strained with the daily challenges that face us. Plan mini breaks.
A……Affirm
Look around you and intentionally find the good. Affirm the positive things you see and hear. Negativity is so easy to slip into and it can permeate you life like smoke permeates a forest. It clouds your thinking too. Affirm your loved ones regularly. When pressures in life mount up we tend to take it out on those we love the most. Be intentional in affirming the relationships you treasure and guard them in changing times. Look for the positive.
U…..U-turns
Allow yourself the freedom of making a U turn in life. If the direction you are going needs changing then make the change necessary. If you want a different job, take an online course and begin to work in that direction. If your marriage is feeling tense read some books on relationships, plan some positive times together or get some counsel. If your body is discouraging you make a plan to eat less and move more. Concentrate on the things in life that you have the power to change and focus some energy there rather than dwelling on the things you have no power over. Change what you can.
G….Give
Find ways to give. When life gets challenging our tendency is to hoard our resources. Give of your time to help someone out; coach a kid’s team, or do some repairs around the house. Give time to listen to those you love and hear the feelings behind the words. Give encouragement. Give kindness to strangers. When you are feeling depleted, intentionally choose to give and you will be surprised at the refreshing it will bring to you. Be generous without using money.
H…..Hope
Dare to hope in tomorrow. Fan the flames of hope in your heart. When hope feels scarce dare to hope in God to give you the strength you need when the road feels hard and rough. We all need hope in something beyond ourselves. God can provide that hope and that help when we simply ask Him to join us on the road of life and walk with us. He is the ultimate source of help and He is the one who can bring hope for tomorrow. Reach out for hope.
Lord, Help me to make time to be in Your presence where You can stir a new song in my heart. Help me to be an intentional influencer in these challenging days. Use me, Lord, to help those around me find firm footing in Your strength. Help me to bring joy to my corner of the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Questions: What step do you need to focus on yourself today? Are you making time to be in God’s presence so He can give you a new song in your heart?
About the Author Gail Rodgers
Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Hiding Among the Trees, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog
Tags: affirm, encouragement, generous, give, hope, joy, leisure, listen, love, music, negativity, online course, peace, pressures, relationships, song
5 Responses to “Finding Joy”
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Thank you Gail for your positive ideas.
kanj i ampraying for you. i take a lot of meds for different things and it is hard to lose eight while on some of them but i lost 30 lbs it took me over a year and i still need to lose more but with Gods help i know we both can do it
Gail, thank you for the devotional. The one step I need to focus on these days is most definitely ”U-TURNS”. the issue of weight has once more attacked me due to medication that I must take. I am small in stature (5′ 1”) and ideally for me I know how much weight I can carry. but in order for the medicine to do what it needs to do, I cannot stop taking it because of the weight gain. i am nauseous pretty much 24-7. it’s hard to want to eat when you already feel nauseous but it’s even worse if the meds are taken on an empty stomach. so into the start of the 4th week(which ends today), I was almost willing to throw in the towel, almost. But God gave me a new song in my heart that morning. I was praying to the Lord that I didn’t wish to admit defeat but that with the flesh being weak, I didn’t know how much longer I could cope. I told the Lord I still had 8 weeks to go. I prayed for strength and believe it when I say that not even 15 min. later, I was feeling relief from the nausea. Just out of nowhere did I feel I could continue on. The weight will likely continue but the depression will not. I have been blessed with good health and I know it will be a year long battle to loose a mere 5 lbs. but lose it I will. I am not looking at this situation any longer as a trial, I am looking at it as a blessing because you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
thank you
Gail, once again a very helpful word. It is so easy to let ourselves slip into an unhappy place at times like these. Really great practical help here. And when we hope in our heavenly Father all else seems to fade away. Praying that we all “LAUGH” in ever increasing ways this day and the days to come. Praying that those reading the devotional today will rest in that wonderful heavenly hope we have in Christ Jesus. Love to you all. Donna