Where is the Joy?
“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.”
~ Psalm 63:1-4 (ESV)
Everyday we are rushing to get our to-do list done. Get up, get the kids ready for school, go to work, volunteer at church or school (or both), prepare dinner, clean; the list goes on…By the time night rolls around, we are ready to drop into bed, so we can do it all over again the next day, and next…Seriously, everyday life can drain the joy right out of us. Although I no longer have to rush around getting our son from here to there, life is still busy – only in a different way.
Psalm 63 has become one of my favorite Psalm over the past year. David wrote this particular Psalm when he was in the desert of Judah. I can relate. Not only do I live geographically in the desert, but also my mind and body were drained. Where did my joy go? Did I once again put too much on my plate? Hm, yes…Once again I let things creep into my life that kept me from the One who truly brings me joy…
Let me share the next 4 verses of David’s marvelous Psalm:
“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”
~ Psalm 63:5-8 (ESV)
Did you see? David found joy in the shadow of our Lord’s wings. His soul was satisfied with the being in the presence of the Lord. Oh, what a way to spend some of our free time with Him.
Sweet sisters, I know that the things we are doing are good thing, like taking care of family, or volunteering, earning a living. One thing I suggest though: take some time out of your busy day to spend with the Lord. I know, it is not easy to do, but oh, it is so worth it. Your day will go much smoother; well, mine does when I intentionally take time out to spend in His presence…
Lord of Heaven and Earth. I need Your help to keep me on track. In order to find true, satisfying joy, I need to spend time in your presence on a daily basis. Lord, clear my to-do-list in order for me to be refueled in this dry parched land called life. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen
Amen, so true my sweet friend.
When I don’t spend time with the Lord – all those other “things” seem so dry and like I am in the desert, thirsting for something. Our joy can quickly be drained from us when we don’t have the “joy of the Lord”. Thanks for the reminder today Iris! love, Laurie
Such wonderful advice! God bless you!
Great advice and reminder for us us! Sometimes I get distracted … I need to keep my focuss on Him…
I’ve been trying to brainwash myself with the message that God loves me and takes good care of me. It’s hard to believe right now, but I keep saying it. Allison
“His soul was satisfied with being in the presence of the Lord.”
Amen Iris! How awesome to get to the place where just being in His presence is enough.
Amen. I have found now that I have made the commitment of spending time in the word I desire it more.