12/07/2025
Word for today:
Joy is a tremendous source of strength. If a person is down and discouraged, almost any obstacle or hardship is enough to incapacitate him or her. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
This can be true for anyone. “Emotional energy” is extremely powerful. This is why coaches give motivational speeches to their players. A person who is “up” will accomplish far more than a person who is “down.” Joy provides strength. A person suffering from a physical ailment or pain but who is filled with joy will survive much better than a discouraged person with the same condition. Joy can even make a person forget his pain and limitations. In fact, it is better to have joy in suffering than despair in ease and luxury.
Joy is available in a variety of places. A person can receive joy from other individuals and from circumstances. The primary difference between the joy that is provided by people and circumstances and the joy that comes from the Lord is in consistency and duration. People will fail. Circumstances will change. A person whose joy and strength are from these sources will inevitably be inconsistent. That person will be up and down, riding the waves of alternating joy and sadness, encouragement and discouragement.
However, when a person’s source of joy and the strength it provides is the Lord, then he can be even-keeled and constant, just as God is constant. Many verses in Scripture speak to the joy that God provides His people:Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Trust God and have a blessed day.