JOY is a very powerful three letter word but sometimes many of us struggle to find and keep it.

We allow our circumstances, situations, and the outside world to depict to us what joy should look like. When we look at our lives, it may seem that we are not measuring up. Sometimes we are so consumed with everything that is going wrong, we don’t even notice that God has made a new day and blessed us to see it. Psalm 118:24 tells us, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”. Everyday that God allows you to rise take heart knowing that you are still here to accomplish that great thing which He has placed on the inside of you. Yes, you’ve labored, you’ve toiled, you’ve cried and you’ve assumed that you’ve been forgotten but that is not so. Whatever you may be going through, be it financial hardships, broken relationships, a season of loneliness, or family divides, just know that today is the day that you stop weeping over those things which may seem dead and know that in the morning, God has given unto thee JOY!

Joy is a feeling and a knowing that you and anything you are going through will be taken care of because God is a good Father. He knows the very number of hairs you have on your head. He hears and sees all. God is fulfilling everything He said He would do in your life and you must embrace that. Joy is not the same thing as happiness. Happiness is prevalent to when something good happens to you, but joy is something that stays with you; it’s something that no situation, circumstance or person can disrupt because it comes from God and God alone. Joy is something that requires something of you that you can’t produce in your own power. The Holy Spirit perfects that fruit on the inside of you so that you can walk in the fullness of your life.

“Thou will shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore”. Psalm 16:11, KJV

When the enemy tries to come in like a flood, remember that because you are walking and living by the spirit and your spirit remains in the presence of God, nothing can move you from your firm foundation. The enemy wants you to believe that your situations can’t be turned around, that all is lost. But, we serve a mighty God and He has the power to overturn any situation according to His will.

I used to wrestle with my emotions on a daily basis. When things were going my way, man I was on cloud nine and nothing could stop me. The moment something would shift, be it, someone would say the wrong thing to me, I would miss my bus (I was on public transportation for seven years prior to getting my first car), I would get into a disagreement with someone close to me, whatever, I allowed those emotions to dictate how the rest of my day went. Most times I would remain a sour patch kid for the rest of the day. I didn’t know quite yet how to steward my emotions, let alone keep joy in my spirit. We all know this faith walk ain’t no cake walk so I began to pray over myself daily (and still do). I prayed for God to make me a good steward over my emotions and allow me to lead in all things with joy. I say this anytime I feel myself beginning to succumb to my emotions. I know they can get the best of me, and I want to be the best for God and because that is a desire of my heart, He has given me the wisdom to know when to speak and when to move in peace.


Sometimes people will try your patience and try to get you to come up out of the good place you’ve worked so hard to stay in, but you have to rebuke those actions and attitude and keep it moving. You cannot allow negative people or things to steal your joy away because you are walking and living in the spirit where God resides. The world will try and test you, but you have to remain steadfast and vigilant in keeping your peace. Choose joy, even when you’re afraid. Choose joy, even when you’re unsure. Choose joy because joy is the beauty of Christ in the word and with the word of Christ, He can allow you to see that same beauty in the world.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4, KJV

By: Etosha Bahaiddin  
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