Psalm 16:11

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned in an email to my prayer team that I was doing one. I couldn’t help but smile. Then I realized no one except my husband had probably seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and it comes from a heart flowing with joy. Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” This doesn’t mean giving Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means aligning ourselves to our Lord’s will. Verses like John 15:11 where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” refer to Jesus as having joy and being the giver of joy.  These verses may be a clue as to why believers sometimes don’t have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? In other words, if Jesus was on earth, would His emotions be tied to the things to which our emotions are sometimes tied; such as how people treat us, how successful we are, our standard of living? You see, Jesus held loosely to our world.  His joy wasn’t tied to things of this earth because He lived in God’s kingdom and knew this earth’s best and finest would pass away. Our eternal inheritance is more than we can imagine.  Joy comes when our head, heart, and motivation are Spirit-driven. When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance? “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Lord, we praise You, in whose presence there is fullness of  JOY!

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned in an email to my prayer team that I was doing one. I couldn’t help but smile. Then I realized no one except my husband had probably seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and it comes from a heart flowing with joy. Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” This doesn’t mean giving Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means aligning ourselves to our Lord’s will. Verses like John 15:11 where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” refer to Jesus as having joy and being the giver of joy.  These verses may be a clue as to why believers sometimes don’t have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? In other words, if Jesus was on earth, would His emotions be tied to the things to which our emotions are tied? To how people treat us, to  our success, to a certain standard of living? You see, Jesus held loosely to our world and His joy wasn’t tied to it because He had seen God’s KINGDOM, knew this earth’s best and finest is passing away, and that our eternal inheritance is more than we can imagine.

Joy comes when our head, heart, and motivation are Spirit-driven. When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance? “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Lord, we praise You, in whose presence there is fullness of  JOY!

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned in an email to my prayer team that I was doing one. I couldn’t help but smile, then realized no one except my husband had probably seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and it comes from a heart flowing with joy. Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” This doesn’t mean giving Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means our aligning ourselves as servants to our Lord’s will. Verses like John 15:11 where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” refer to Jesus as having joy and being the giver of joy.  These verses may be a clue as to why believers sometimes don’t have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? In other words, if Jesus was on earth, would His emotions be tied to the things to which our emotions are often tied: how people treat us, our success, a certain standard of living? You see, Jesus held loosely to our world because He had seen the KINGDOM and knew this earth’s best and finest is passing away.

Joy comes when our head, heart, and motivation are Spirit-driven. When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance? “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Lord, we praise You, in whose presence there is fullness of  JOY!

“What’s a spiritual happy dance?” someone asked me after I mentioned in an email to my prayer team that I was doing one. I couldn’t help but smile, then realized no one except my husband had probably seen me do a spiritual happy dance. Why? Because it’s before God and it comes from a heart flowing with joy. Does our Heavenly Father care if we are joyful? Yes. Jesus said in John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” This doesn’t mean giving Jesus our worldly wish list. Rather, it means our aligning ourselves as servants to our Lord’s will. We also read verses like John 15:11 where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Jesus referred to Himself as having joy and in being the giver of joy.  These verses may be a clue to why believers often don’t have joy. We may be able to quote Jesus, but are we living Him? In other words, if Jesus was on earth, would His emotions be tied to the things to which our emotions are often tied: if we’re being treated like we want, if others are doing what we want, if we have the home, success, job, living standard we want. You see, Jesus held loosely to this world because He had seen the KINGDOM and the best and finest in this world is passing away.

Yes, we often get sucked into the rush and whirlwind of this world because we’re living in it. But Jesus said don’t store up on earth where moth and rust ruin. Many of us may not be experiencing joy because we have one foot in heaven and the other on earth and we’re wretchedly pulled and stretched. We struggle to make it through the day. Jesus explains in John 15:1-10 that the deep joy for which our soul yearns isn’t in money, the right job, or another person. Christ had no home, no spouse, and a job that was anything but glamorous. He was constantly talked bad about by religious people. Those closest to Him argued. He was in constant demand day and night. His family didn’t understand Him. So what joy is He talking about? It’s the joy we experience leading someone to the Lord. It’s the joy of leading a Bible study and seeing someone grow. It’s the joy of seeing God accomplish something through us that only He could do. It has nothing to do with money, clothes, homes, and other trappings that Satan has deceived us into thinking that when we get them, all will be right with the world and we’ll be happy. It’s a big fat lie. Joy comes when our head, heart, and motivation are Spirit driven. When was the last time you did a spiritual happy dance? “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Lord, we praise You, in whose presence there is fullness of  JOY!

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Sometimes He holds me closely as we slow dance through dark nights and lonely days.

Sometimes we skip through meadow flowers laughing as sun rays dance on dewdrops.

Every day we take a needed time off the dance floor to talk quietly in hushed voices – me to Him and Him to me. No one else can hear our sacred conversation. It’s just between us. And, then, as the day and household awakens, we dance.  To the kitchen, to pay the bills, to gas up the car, to work, to the laundry room.

He’s with me. And, the fact is, the more I pay attention to His presence, the more joy filled I am. The more I choose to be consciously aware that He’s holding me, guiding me through my sometimes backward, sometimes circling, sometimes dizzying days, the more I smile…at Him, at life, at others, at myself.

In our Father’s presence is fullness of joy.