Joy comes

Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke: You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all. God’s kingdom is there for the finding. You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry. Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal. You’re blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning.

When you rose this morning, how was your joy level? Did you prick your finger and test it? Probably not. But it is a good idea to think about it when you do rise.

In the eastern part of our country, people rose to the end or partial end of a storm. Flooding, lack of power in cold weather, etc., was their greeting. Could they see the joy that came with the dawn? Probably not.

Let me ask it this way ... when was the last time you gave yourself over to joy in worship. I mean simply laid it out there and allowed joy to wash over you like so much flood water? The Bible tells of such a time: When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.

Simply filled with joy, they sang and they danced.

Friends, occasional readers, the odd blogster who found himself or herself here strangely enough, what God wants more for us than anything else, I believe, is joy. Joy that is a decision. Joy that is a past, present and future. Joy that comes with each morning whether the morning is a good one or not.

Let is be so for you today, no matter the weather, no matter the problems, no matter the degree of happiness you have.

Let joy come with this morning.