Joy in God
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Memory Verse
I have told you this to make you as completely happy as I am. (CEV)
Troy received several gifts for his birthday. His aunt gave him lots of money, his mom and dad gave him the new video game he’d wanted, and his grandparents brought an awesome remote control car. After the party, he said, “I love all my presents—now I have everything I wanted.” Troy's dad replied, "We’re glad you like your gifts, but remember these are just things. They can’t bring you real joy.”
Troy wondered what his dad meant. Over the next few weeks, Troy spent all his money, beat all the levels on his new game, and then broke his remote control car. One day he looked around his room at all the cool “stuff” he had, but he couldn’t understand why he felt empty. Then he remembered what his dad told him on his birthday. “Is this what Dad meant about where real joy comes from?” he wondered.
Joy comes from our relationship with God through Jesus. In John 15:9-11, Jesus teaches us that we will find peace and joy when we stay close to him and obey the Bible. The love we have for God helps us obey his Word. When we follow God’s commands, he fills us with a spirit of hope and joy (Psalm 19:8 and 119:1-2). Joy is not about what we own, but what we have in our hearts.
God loves us and will always be with us. That’s a great reason to be full of joy. We may have new clothes, tons of toys, or be liked by everybody, but none of that will bring us the joy of our relationship with God. We will outgrow clothes, break toys, and lose popularity, but our relationship with God is eternal. Joy does not depend on what happens to you. It is about what God is doing inside you.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for being the reason we have joy. Help me to never forget where true happiness comes from. In Jesus’ name, Amen.Related Resources
Natasha Menifee
Natasha Menifee is an educator, writer and most importantly a child of God. She has taught in public schools for 12 years and holds two master's degrees from Georgetown College in Learning & Behavior Disorders and Teacher Leadership. Natasha also serves as the Christian Education Director at her church. She is the proud mother of two daughters. For more information about her, visit www.natashamenifee.com.