"You, LORD, keep my lamp burning…"

Would you like to have a joy within you that's alive and tangible even through difficult times?

"You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light." (Psalm 18:28, NIV) There is so much we can learn from this one verse! First of all, it doesn't mean that you have to somehow "manufacture" joy yourself. It means that God produces it in you!

Now you may be thinking, "Okay, that might be even harder." But the good news is that it isn't! When your heart longs to please God, He fills you with joy. :-)

I can tell you that for years, I tried to "amplify" the natural joy of life that God had given me, make it even more prominent, because people loved me for it. But that was exhausting! It wasn't until I stopped trying to please people and started trying to please God that it happened on its own. My joy became greater, deeper, and more genuine…and praise God, His light shone more brightly and radiantly through me!

The psalmist writes in the Bible, "And so the LORD restored me for my righteousness because my hands are clean in His eyes." (Psalm 18:24, CEB) Other versions of the Bible translate the word "restored" as "rewarded" or "recompensed." I believe one of God's amazing rewards for righteousness is His JOY!

I'm not suggesting that we'll ever "get there," doing everything right and living without sin, but the question is "Do we want to please God?" As David wrote so beautifully, "I rejoice in following Your statues as one rejoices in great riches." (Psalm 119:14, NIV)

God wants YOU to rejoice, too! He desires to give you this joy that shines radiantly and from the inside out, blessing your life and many others' lives through you! Yes, He wants to keep your light shining, as we read in the opening verse. And this joy comes from living in His beautiful truth!

Are you ready to let Him shine into your darkness? Are you ready for Him to remove some duller spots in your life so that you can fully shine for His glory?

As a child of God, you are destined for joy! :-)

You are a miracle!

Déborah