Category: Finding Joy

on • Christina Patterson

What does fighting for our joy look like? We find an excellent example from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Church at Philippi, written during a time of great uncertainty.

Paul wrote this letter in prison, unsure if he would live or die. The call on his life as an apostle has cost him everything; his comfort, prestige, and maybe even his life. However, he is not writing to the Philippians to complain about his situation. He is not asking for help.

Instead, he’s writing to gush over how joyful he is in Christ and his hope for them to experience this same joy. For every reason Paul has to be discouraged, he relentlessly finds more reasons to be joyful. He is so intentional and adamant about finding joy even in this situation. This letter is like a direct assault against any discouragement or doubt that may come his way.

Through the example of Paul, we learn that joy is a choice, and sometimes it is a choice we must fight for with thanksgiving and prayer (Philippians 1:3-4). Paul paints a clear picture for the Philippians to see beyond what is happening and to understand how everything “that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News” (Philippians 1:12) and complete God’s good purpose.

Although in chains, his imprisonment was the cause of the gospel’s advancement. This brought joy to Paul because he understood that God will often use the very thing meant to hold you back to complete his work in your life.

We see this truth throughout the Bible:

The very flames King Nebuchadnezzar used to try to kill Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are the same flames that destroyed the shackles meant to hold them hostage while not harming a single hair on their heads (Daniel 3:9-25).

The thorn in Paul’s side meant to weaken him was the very thing that caused the power of God to rest on him (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The crucifixion meant to humiliate and kill Jesus was the very situation that afforded eternal life to all who would believe in him and gave Christ all authority in heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:20-21, Matthew 28:18).

Sometimes the opposition, failure, lack, weakness, hurt, suffering, detours, and disappointment we face are not signs of doing something wrong, as we are commonly led to believe. Instead, God works all things out for our good and his glory (Romans 8:28).

This is why Paul rejoices. We can as well, even in hardships. Paul wants the Philippians to know his imprisonment is not failure but victory.

So in Philippians 1:18, he doesn’t say, “I might rejoice,” “I want to rejoice,” or “I’m thinking about rejoicing.”

Instead, he says, “I will rejoice.”

“…The message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice” (‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:18‬‬‬).

I love that Paul tells himself what he will do. I also love that he can look past this difficulty to see the greater work that God is doing. This ability truly leads to joy because joy is a choice.

Choosing joy may be challenging, but joy is always worth the fight.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Philippians 1 today.

on • Tiffany Bluhm

Like any woman with a pulse, I have had times when my back was against the wall, and I have had seasons when I certainly lost more than I have gained. Dreams of a marriage, a child, or a new venture did not turn out as I had hoped, but all was not lost.

I was left with the Dream Giver, the one who loves me, longs for my good, and will never leave me for dead. He was behind the scenes, working everything for good. He was with me and for me, leading me all the way. There was never a moment when I had to fight for the dream on my own. We were in it together, partners every step of the way. He was kind to me. He held me. And I found abundant life tucked in His presence.

In the end, I wanted Him more than the dream.

In our lives, we will experience dreams dying, dreams being resurrected, and dreams becoming a reality. Through it all, may the Dream Giver always be the One we long for—more than our dreams, more than our plans; may the Dream Giver be the One we are after.

I promise you this: the One who created us will always be enough for us. As we place Him on the throne of our lives, we can run toward our dreams with the Dream Giver, never apart from Him. He is the Giver of the dream, our Partner as we pursue the dream, and the One who gives us the victory.

To dream is to trust God with our destiny and live a life worthy of the calling that has been placed upon us. Each and every one of us was born to dream. You and I were built for a much larger capacity than we imagine; we are stronger than we think we are.

And let me assure you of this: you are probably doing a better job than you think you are. The Dream Giver delights in you, loves you, and will never leave or forsake you.

You are the dream of His heart. You are what He is after.

Your life is so very precious to Him. He wants more than anything to draw you in, love you, strengthen you, and unleash you to reach the dreams He has placed within you.

“I desire you more than anything on earth…How good it is to be near God!” Psalm 73:25, 28

*For deeper reflection, listen to Psalm 73 today.

Excerpt from She Dreams: Live the Life You Were Created For Copyright © Abingdon Press, 2019. All Rights Reserved.

on • Janet Paige Smith

I had just made new friends. Now it was time to move again. As a military child, my life revolved around leaving one city and starting again in another. During my elementary school years, I felt the security of attending school on the military base. But, I had to venture out for my middle and high school and mix with students who had been together since kindergarten. With their cliques already established, newcomers had a hard time fitting in.

I desperately tried to join all the “popular” groups in my urgency to belong. The athletes. The smart kids. The rowdy crowd. Yet, it wasn’t long before they discovered I was an “imposter.” I was quickly ousted and labeled some kind of misfit.

My childhood memories of being left out resurfaced. My longing to belong was strong, and I mixed in with the world until the shame of my sins was unbearable. I sought Christ’s forgiveness and chose to only belong to him.

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. ~ Colossians 2:13

I soon discovered that my challenges as a military child prepared me, in part, for my adult life as a Christian. Once I became obedient to God’s standard of living, I was again left out. It hurt when my coworkers did not invite me to gatherings at their homes when they knew I wouldn’t party with them. At lunchtime, I hurried to my office to eat alone at my desk. No one wanted to sit with me after I didn’t join in their gossip or cursing. I even choked back tears at church after being passed over for an opportunity because I defended a fellow believer.

I have since learned that the Bible speaks of many left out, even injured and killed, because they refused to blend in with others. Even Jesus was criticized for hanging out with undesirables and sinners.

Now, as I grow stronger in my faith, I know Jesus is always with me even when people walk out of my life or leave me out.

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. ~ Psalm 27:10

*For deeper reflection, listen to Psalm 27.

on • Jenny Steinbach

Today is International Women’s Day—a holiday celebrated in countries worldwide from Armenia to Zambia and more! Though it is lovely to set aside a special day to honor women, it is even more remarkable to know that Jesus sees and values women every single day.

Melody helps women understand how Jesus values them by leading a weekly Bible study in her neighborhood.

She shares, “What I love about her.BIBLE is how ethnically diverse the women’s voices are because my Bible study is ethnically diverse.

“We have women right now from Angola, Nicaragua, and Mexico. It’s just so beautiful to hear them when they talk about their heart for God and their beautiful accents and ethnically diverse experiences.”
Melody goes on to explain, “To have a tool to give them, that’s also reflective of what we are as a Bible study, I think is amazing. And it’s just such a gift to be able to give that to them. So that’s why I use it in ALL my neighbor Bible studies I lead.”

We are thrilled to have her.BIBLE listeners in more than 170 countries, and also thrilled that there are women who want to produce an audio Bible in their heart languages.

Katy, who is producing an audio Bible in British voices, explains, “It’s not the male voices that are the problem [in current audio versions]. It’s the lack of female voices. There’s something about the familiarity a woman’s voice brings.”

You can join us in bringing God’s Word in women’s comforting voices to people all over the world. Just open the her.BIBLE app, click on the three bars in the upper-left corner of your phone, then click on share app. You can also click on a Bible verse and share it with a friend.

As you celebrate International Women’s Day, we pray that you will know how deeply loved you are by God. “May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is” (Ephesians 3:18). Then share His love with someone you know!

on • Dorina Gilmore-Young

My friends and I rolled out of bunk beds early and headed for the start of the Shadow of the Giants trail race. The air was brisk. “Three, two, one, go!” the race director bellowed, his voice echoing through the forest. And we were off.

My lungs burned as we headed uphill through the grove of Sequoia trees at 5,000-feet elevation.

Inhale. Lift. Exhale. Lift. Inhale. Lift.

I tried to find the rhythm of my breath and feet to make it up that first five miles of hills. I couldn’t help noticing the landscape.

The trail through the Nelder Grove—near Yosemite National Park—looked strikingly different from the year before when I ran the same race. Fallen trees and blackened trunks provided a striking stark contrast against the backdrop of the blue sky.

A wildfire earlier in the year blazed its way through this forest. The cause of the fire was unknown, but it threatened communities and historic buildings.

When a fire rages through dry underbrush, it clears thick growth so that nourishing sunlight can reach the forest floor. This encourages the growth of native species. Where forest fires destroy, new life springs up.

A resilient tree that survives the fire can even experience a growth spurt.

As I ran, I noticed evidence of new growth. Green grass and leaves sprouted. Wildflowers dotted the trail. As I rounded one corner, angled light beamed through the blackened tree trunks.

Beauty rose from the ashes.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted…To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” Isaiah 61:1-3

After my husband’s death, a fierce sense of hope has risen in my life. I still bear the scars of loss, but God uses these to open doors to encourage others.

Sometimes life is about breathing and lifting, moving forward one step at a time.

Our hearts are scarred, but we have found unexpected joy in the ashes.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Isaiah 61.

on • Kathy R. Green

It is not easy to feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and thanksgiving when you’re going through a trial. Many years ago, I pleaded for God to resurrect my dead marriage. I prayed each day, repeatedly asking for the same thing.

Then, early one morning, just as I began to open my mouth to pray, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “Come, not asking anything, but praise.”

The words halted me and shifted my focus from asking God to do what I wanted Him to do to praising Him for what He had already done. It takes quietness before God and reflecting on what He has already done for gratitude to spring forth from the depths of your heart.

Giving thanks empowers us to overcome anything that comes our way. Life can be challenging, but God is always good. And if we look hard enough, we will see His goodness.

There is always a reason to give God praise, but we need our eyes to be opened to see God’s blessings all around us. Before long, I experienced a miracle in my marriage.

In your own painful places, I urge you to look to Psalm 100 for guidance. It is a Psalm of thanksgiving. It offers us a picture of a heart attitude approaching God in prayer.

First, we are to worship the Lord with gladness and come before him singing with joy (v. 2). Secondly, we are to enter his gates with thanksgiving and go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name (v.4). Why? Because the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation (v.5).

Thanksgiving and praise have less to do with our hardships and more to do with our faith.

Approaching God with a thankful heart is giving Him what He truly deserves.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Psalm 100.

on • Gina Butz

From my desk, I see our swimming pool. On humid Orlando days, I love floating in that pool. I know I can relax and drift. I can’t get lost or go too far. No wave will overwhelm me. It’s comfortable and predictable.

We like it when life is like that swimming pool: manageable, contained, safe.

Any transition, even positive ones – getting married, becoming a parent, changing jobs, kids leaving home, moving across town – is like being lifted out of that pool and being dropped into the ocean. We can feel lost, overwhelmed, disoriented, and alone.

We long for the edges, the boundaries, the things that make us feel secure, known, and in control. We seek affirmation, acknowledgment, value, and a way to feel solid again.

But while it may feel like we’ve been thrown into the deepest end of the ocean, remember: He is the God of the ocean. Whatever is changing in our lives, He isn’t.

He is our anchor and our rock.

Consider these words from Psalm 18:16-18: “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at the moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.”

He knows us by heart. He sees us. He is with us always. He will rescue us. Nothing will come into our lives that is beyond His grace. May He be the solid place we cling to in the midst of every change.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Psalm 18.

on • Janet Perez Eckles

Recently, while my fingers danced on my keyboard, I was about to finish an important document, and suddenly, my computer froze. Nothing worked. My muscles tightened. I feared all my work was lost.

“Cindi, I don’t know what’s wrong,” I wrote to my wise friend.

“Sometimes,” she answered, “this can happen when you have too many windows open.”

Ugh! In life, we do that. We open too many windows.

If our kids go in the wrong direction, we open the window of worry. As our bank account dwindles, we open the window of anxiety. After the doctor’s office leaves a message, “Both of your parents tested positive for Covid,” we open the window of anguish.

And rushing through those windows of negative emotions, the tornado of fear invades our lives. Fear that we’re losing control. Fear that God is distant and aloof. Fear that we’re on our own to face the mess.

Decades ago, I visited that messy place. At age 31, a retinal disease robbed my sight aggressively, completely, and with no expectation of regaining it again.

That’s when I opened, not just a window, but a colossal patio door of self-pity. “Why Me?” I asked over and over again. “What will I do blind? How could I care for my 3, 5, and 7-year-old sons?”

Jesus was gentle to come to my rescue amid those fearful questions. He knew my pain and saw the tears on my pillow. In the silence of the night, He heard my sobs.

That’s when he reached down with his hand of compassion and whispered, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105).

His Word was my Light. And he continues to be. With the eyes of my heart, I see a new life. I see fresh, colorful horizons as joy dances in my soul.

Join me in that dance because, in your darkness, He promises you the same. You may not be facing physical blindness. However, whatever window of adversity is opened in your life, God longs to guide you through, help you see, and end your sobs when you’re ready.

When you choose to let him close the window of negative emotions and embrace his relief, fear has no place. His peace comes back and joy begins.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Psalm 119.

on • Susan Goodwin

Have you ever poured out your heart before the Lord? “Downhearted, deep anguish, crying bitterly” are the emotions of the childless woman, Hannah, which opens the book of 1 Samuel. The writer declares, “God has closed her womb.” Elkanah, her loving husband, fails to understand her while his other wife mocks her.

Her emotions erupt during a pilgrimage to the house of the Lord. Can you feel the weight of her longing? It is palatable. Hannah’s faith is displayed as she takes her emptiness to God. Feeling overwhelmed, her lips move to pray, but her weary heart has no sound. She is assumed drunk. In raw honesty, Hannah sighs, “I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.” God hears. God remembers. God gives Hannah a son. (1 Samuel 1:15b)

In a worshipful response, Hannah again bares her soul before the Lord. This time her words are recorded. (1 Samuel 2:2-10) Her prayer’s focus is not on the gift of her son, Samuel,  but upon the goodness of the Giver Himself. Affirming God’s unchanging nature, Hannah proclaims God’s future promise of redemption, for his people.  

She exclaims that God opposes the proud and exalts the humble. (2:3-4) God is at work in the world despite chaos and evil. (2:9) God will send a king. (2:10) Through Samuel, God transitions Israel to a monarchy. This monarchy is a shadow of an eternal kingdom. God promises King David, whom Samuel anointed, an everlasting throne. Through David’s line, a king will come to rule and reign with all the goodness of God himself.

Centuries later, another mother responds in worshipful prayer, echoing the words of Hannah. (Luke 1:46-55) God visits humble Mary, giving her a son. Through this Son, all of God’s promises to Israel are completely and finally fulfilled. He is the long-awaited King from the line of David to rule forever. What Hannah knew in part is now known in full. 

May our hearts worship with hers as we pour out our own longings before the Lord.

*For deeper reflection, listen to 1 Samuel 1. 

on • Kathy R. Green

The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. (Psalm 23:1)

The Twenty-Third Psalm offers us a real picture of our life’s journey, in light of our relationship with God as Father, Son, and Spirit.

The Psalmist David came to know the Lord while spending time in the fields, tending his father’s flock. In the stillness of time spent alone with God, he learned how to guide the sheep, provide for their daily needs, and keep them safe from harm.

David’s experiences taught him to declare the Lord as his Shepherd. We must also know the Lord and declare Him to be our Shepherd who cares for us and provides for our every need.

God wants us to rest in His peace. The green meadows are symbolic of how God nourishes us, while the peaceful streams reveal the calmness we can experience from the inside out as we cease from fretting, worrying, and being anxious about the cares of this world.

The Lord comforts our hurting hearts and heals the emotional wounds we carry. He restores our minds and stabilizes and strengthens us emotionally.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. (Psalm 23:4)

God wants us to learn to trust Him. These paths may appear dark and hopeless, but we don’t have to fear because the Lord walks close beside us.

His rod protects us. His Shepherd’s staff guides us along our journey.

God rewards us for our suffering. It’s as if He prepares a beautifully decorated table with the most delicious spread of our favorite things. He anoints us with the oil of gladness and fills our cup until it overflows.

God is a good and loving Father.

May we stay close to God, spending our days in His presence here on earth and throughout eternity.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Psalm 23.