My youngest had the best time playing in leaves last weekend. Oh, the joy that jumping into a fresh pile of leaves brings for a kid. Oh, the joy it brings for a mama watching him out the kitchen window.
It wasn’t just automatic. He raked and raked and even borrowed his Dad’s leaf blower for a little bit. He went over into the neighbor’s yard, raked and scooped leaves into a wagon. Then brought them back to his pile on our side of the fence. Then he jumped and flung leaves up in the air to watch them fall. Then he did angels in the leaves before covering himself up in them. By the time he had done all of that he had to rake again. It was a lot of work to capture this joy. He earned it.
Sunday afternoon was extra windy. More leaves fell from the trees, but they were blowing everywhere. My child got an old towel from the garage and threw it over top of his pile and then laid right down on top of it all, spread eagle, in the hopes of keeping the leaves from blowing away. He was not giving up his joy.
Have you ever heard the expression, “no one is going to steal my joy?” There’s a line in the Zach Williams’ song, “Old Church Choir” that says “ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy.” That came to mind as I watched my son play full throttle in those leaves. He worked for that pile of leaves that produced joy and he wasn’t letting it go.
Guess what, Friends? We must do that, too. Joy isn’t exactly automatic. We don’t pop our quarter into the machine, turn the lever and get a handful of joy. We must put in some work. In fact, joy is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). Much like my son’s pile of leaves, it takes some effort to develop. It is produced with work and growth. We often talk about choosing joy, but the real choice is choosing Jesus and the fullness of joy that only He can bring. That choice, though, is steeped in work and sacrifice. This is work worth doing.
Scripture tells us we are to rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the trials that get us closer to Him. James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
In the old testament, Habakkuk 3:17-19, says “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls – Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
Nehemiah 8:10, says the joy of the Lord is our strength. Fulfilling commands to rejoice in the Lord always – even in the middle of sorrow and suffering – is the work of developing and producing this joy. This fruit. This fruit that sweetens and fuels. This is our strength.
This is worth protecting with all our resources. And it will require protecting because the enemy will blow in winds of doubt, suffering, anger, and confusion. Can you hang on and rejoice in the Lord through the hard days when Satan attacks or when it doesn’t seem like God has heard your prayer? Psalms tell us that joy comes in the morning. It comes after the suffering and work. Jesus knows this better than anyone.
In John 16:22 Jesus told the disciples, “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”
These are challenging days, Friends, but they need not steal your joy. Rejoice in the Lord.
Comments
Beautifully written…I can see him working hard and playing harder. I’ll do the same…ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy 🌟
Author
Glad you enjoyed it, Janet.