The Mug

Yesterday morning I went in the kitchen to get my much needed morning coffee.  As usual my husband left a couple of mugs on the counter to choose from.  ( I have no idea why he does this, since I only need one and don't really care which one I use as long as it's filled with that wonderful, eye-opening brew.)  Anyway, I chose the one pictured below, the one that says JOY.  

Me and my coffee now wander inside to do a little God time.  Out comes the devotional I've mentioned a few times recently and I started to work on the day's entry.  Of course, it was on JOY.  LOL  The Scripture referenced was Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in Your Presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  

So as I worked my way through the question given, (it had to do with what blocks the contented joy Jesus wants us to have), I started to list the things that seem to steal my joy.  Circumstances, consequences, emotions, concerns, attitude, stubbornness....just to list the few I came up with.  And then I realized that the times I had experienced the most contentment, the most joy was in the mornings with the Lord.  He is my focus then, He is present and I am aware that He is, sometimes by feeling but mostly by choice, by knowing.  

As I thought this through (with a lot of prodding by the Holy Spirit I'm sure), I was led by Him to realize, since He is always with me, that contentment is always available. If God is always with us, and he is joyful, then......hmmmm. Simple right?  Something we know right?  But is it something we consciously live with, experience?  

So then we get to the mug.  And we know that with God there are no coincidences.  There was a reason I chose JOY that morning.  He was going to use it as an object lesson in less that fifteen minutes.  LOL He is always with us, but it's our job to choose the joy of being in His Presence.  No matter the circumstances, consequences, emotions, concerns.  It's the attitude and stubbornness we need to lay down so that we can pick up the joy that comes from being with Jesus, His living in us.  God' joy is not the absence of sadness that often comes with living in this world.  We all know that bad things happen.  But we still hang on to that joy because no matter what happens He is with us.  No matter what happens we are still His cherished, heaven-bound child.

I'm really having to practice this lately.  I've written on all the upcoming changes that are happening in our lives right now and I have to continually choose to remember God will work all things out in just the right way.  I have to moment by moment choose joy just the way I chose that mug yesterday morning.  I will choose to remain trusting and joyful and let God work out His perfect plan.  

Lord, thank You for the very physical, neon sign type reminder and lesson You gave me yesterday.  Help me, and all of us to choose joy, choose faith, choose to enter Your rest because we know You have our lives in Your loving hands.  It's so hard for us to let go of the worry and fear and concerns.  We want to wallow in sadness sometimes, feel justified in our anger, but this is not what You want for us.  Lord, help us to open our hands to release all things to You and open our hearts to be filled with Your joy.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Choose joy.  God is with you and you are in His Presence always.  

Psalm 118:24  This is the day the Lord has made, We will rejoice and be glad in it.