Growing a Joyful HeartSample
God’s Joy in Creation
God, our creator, transformed a vast wasteland of the earth into a beautiful planet full of life. Plants, animals, and people lived together in harmony in the Garden of Eden. God looked and saw that it was very good. The creation God made pleased God.
Go to a zoo and watch and listen to the antics of monkeys, the power of lions and other large animals, and the beauty and sweet songs of birds. God made pleasing animals, ones that we watch in amazement and that give us joy. Psalm 104:31 mentions God rejoicing in what He made. The sounds of water gurgling in brooks, splashing on shores, and crashing as it goes over edges in waterfalls—that’s natural joyful music.
In Psalm 149 we see God’s care that shows the joy of creating each of us. In Psalm 149, we read that the Lord takes pleasure in His people. We hear the expression of God’s great delight in Jesus when He shouted from the heavens, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Made in His image, we are the best of His creation and have the choice to bring God joy.
When we live according to God’s will, do good, and obey God, we please Him. In Revelation 5:13 all creation praises God. In Psalm 66:4 all the earth worships God. There’s harmony when we praise God and delight in God, who delighted in making us. That’s seen in King David, the psalmist who played music and served God wholeheartedly. He was called a “man after God’s own heart” in 1 Samuel 13:14. Be thankful you can bring God joy.
Choose Joy Today: Rejoice in God’s creation, and choose to please and worship God.
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About this Plan
Joy is the gift from God that keeps a smile on your face, a song in your heart, and a spring in your step. A fruit of the Holy Spirit, joy comes from focusing on what God has done and will do - rather than focusing on our circumstances. Once joy overflows in our hearts, we share that abundance and become joy givers.
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