Be Still: 30 Devotions for the Hopeful HeartSample

Fullness of Joy

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. PSALM 16:11 ESV

Joy often feels elusive, doesn’t it? The butterfly we cannot catch, that piece of ribbon blowing in the wind we just cannot seem to grab... We know it’s there, so it is certainly real, but it feels impossible to attain. We hear the phrase “choose joy” and it could not feel more out of reach.

Sometimes our situations are so involved and intense that separating ourselves from them feels impossible. In the thick of the trenches, when our feet feel paralyzed in the mud that surrounds us, how do we pretend as though we do not feel stuck? Does God expect us to have joy right then? He can see what life looks like—surely He means after we get through this hurdle.

But Scripture tells us that in order to experience joy, there is one necessary ingredient, and that is the presence of Jesus. When we make ourselves sit still in Him and just “be,” our entire being experiences joy. Sometimes it will be like a swift wind, where once we sit down and really step back from everything, joy will come upon us quickly. However, more often than not, this joy will not feel like the joy we experience when attending a theme park or receiving an answer to prayer; it will be more like a stream of water that seeps into all areas of life and purifies our hearts.

Our mind is able to lighten its load of worries and to-do lists. Our body is able to relinquish the burdens we have been carrying along our way. Our emotions are able to stabilize as we center ourselves in His arms. We feel renewed as we are reminded who we are and whose we are. Our soul does not have the words, because all we can say is “home.”

As we relax in His presence, He speaks life back into us and reflects His mirror of identity and then we know we are okay. The realization of our hope and the mere existence of His presence gives us back our joy. It was never gone.

Dear Jesus, thank You for being the Light of our life and the Giver of all joy. Spending time with You and being loved by You reignites our entire being. Help us to remain in this fullness as we rest in You for the remainder of our days. In Jesus’s name, amen.