It’s an eternal well connected people know how to access.
A joyful shout erupts when the football team wins. A child squeals with delight at the sight of a new puppy. Tears of joy mark a reunion of beloved friends. Yet there’s a deeper, more lasting joy available to us every day. Psalm 100 captures the essence of it:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations.
This joy comes from knowing the Lord is God. Not your boss. Not your parents. Not your social media accounts. It comes from the Source and Sustainer of what your soul needs most. It’s an eternal well connected people know how to access.
The One who has all power, all authority, all wisdom, and all provision made you to love you. He cares for you like a Good Shepherd cares for his sheep. And his faithfulness endures forever. When we connect to him, we connect to our hard-wired purpose for life.
So no matter what’s trying to steal your joy today, go ahead and push on that gate of thanksgiving. Step into the court of the King.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, I praise you for your goodness, mercy, power, healing, deliverance, and provision. Thank you for caring for me as a Good Shepherd cares for his sheep. I’m grateful that “the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” and I have a good inheritance in you (Psalm 16:6). Help me experience joy throughout this week—no matter what it brings. I rest secure because of your faithfulness to me at all times. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.