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Having joy

 

My devotions this morning were based on the joy of the Holy Spirit. It talked about having joy throughout our day, every day. I sat and reflected on this and realized that it is not true of me. There are days I let worry take control of my mind. There are days I am tired and just want to get through my day. There are days I am so busy and rush from one thing to another, feeling pressured and stressed. How do I have joy in these situations?

It is of course, a work of the Holy Spirit and one of the fruits of the Spirit. I need to connect with the Holy Spirit more and be more in tune with him. I need to consciously search for joy. It is a bit like ‘practicing the presence’ of God. After reading Brother Laurence’s book ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ I found my self pursuing God’s presence in the same simple but effective way. That is, I started intentionally thinking of Him throughout the day. I admit that there are times I don’t do this, yet increasingly I am thinking of God. I am going to do the same with joy. I am going to intentionally take moments throughout my day when I will pause for a moment and focus on joy. When I did this after reading my devotion today, I experienced a wonderful warm feeling that moved me to tears. I want that feeling right throughout my day. I am going after it. I will be asking the Holy Spirit to remind me to seek it throughout the day.

I want more of God’s presence, more of His love, more of His joy.

May you too experience the joy of the Holy Spirit in your day.

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