November Devotional: My Joy Comes from the Lord

Contributed by Liz Hunt

Scripture for the week:  “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” Psalm 43:44

Devotional Thought:  Sometimes, in the midst of life’s chaos and challenges, it is hard to remember that God is our God, that He is our exceeding joy, and we get to praise Him. We don’t have to praise Him. In fact, we can ignore Him all we want. None of that changes that He is our God. What praising Him and worshipping Him do change is our joy. The joy of the Lord does not depend on any of our circumstances, but solely on Jesus Christ. We live in abiding joy when we turn our eyes upon Him. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in His Word,  our joy comes from the Lord. 

Thought/Action Point: The best way to ensure we remain steadfast in exceeding joy is to have a proactive plan to keep our eyes on God. However, even the best-laid plans can get derailed. Take a moment to think about ways you ensure that time with God is a priority in your life. Next, think back about the times when life has gone a bit off course and why your joy may have dimmed. Did your time with God suffer? If so, why? The next time life gets crazy, how will you seek joy in the Lord? Pray about it. Make a plan. Find an accountability partner. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Life without you is joyless drudgery and an endless list of unsatisfying to-do’s. But with you, Lord, life is filled with joy unceasing no matter what is going on around me. Lord, guide me to build my life around you Lord, not you around my life. In your name. Amen.