Have you ever searched for joy? Like really searched for the joy of The Lord?
I would consider myself a pretty joyful person for the most part. However, since we have been in Albania joy has been harder to find. I’m not saying that haven’t been happy and I haven’t been having fun because I have been and I am not saying that I have been in this great depression because I haven’t been. But for several day now finding joy has been something that i have really had to be intentional about choosing into. It would be really easy to do what was necessary then go back to my bunk, put in my head phones, and shut out everything around me.
It is interesting to me the way the enemy strikes and the ways he tries to steal joy away from you. In Bulgaria it was more obvious. Here in Albania is has been more subtle. There is a haziness that hangs about sometimes. It is incredibly frustrating. And it is not people that I’m mad or frustrated with. It is the enemy. It makes me angry how deeply he entangles God’s children in lies. It angers me how he manipulates ands twists words that are spoken in grace, truth, and love to be received as personal attacks. It angers me that he has numbed societies to the point where things such as domestic violence are seen as ok and normal when they are anything but.
This week The Lord has been speaking to me a lot. I feel so blessed to be trusted with these insights. He has allowed me to see the potential situation have to go different directions. He has given me things to pray for within my team. He has shared His heart with me. At first this felt like a burden to me and was a little overwhelming but know I see that this is a blessing and not something that I have to deal with in my own strength.
So here was the challenge given to me a few days ago during our time of debriefing. Find your joy. Scripture says that the joy of The Lord is my strength. So I’m on a journey to find joy. Not just happiness in the moment but true joy in The Lord. Joy that stands in every situation. Joy that makes the hard times bearable.
I challenge you to do the same. Find you joy whatever it is and cling to it. The joy of The Lord is your strength.
