Joy isn’t just a feeling that shows up when life is easy. True joy, the kind rooted in God’s presence and promises, often grows right in the middle of challenges, uncertainty, and even pain. This week’s theme, “Count It All Joy,” invites us to see with new eyes—to recognize the gifts of God, even when life feels overwhelming or hard to understand.

Psalm 47 opens our week with a call to celebration: “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy!” Joy is not just for the mountaintop moments—it is for everyone, everywhere, because God reigns over all. In Nehemiah 8, the people weep as they hear God’s word, but Nehemiah and Ezra remind them: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Even in seasons of rebuilding, God’s joy gives us what we need to endure.

The prophets looked forward to a day of complete joy. Isaiah 65 imagines a world made new, where sorrow and loss are swallowed up in gladness. Psalm 63 reminds us that joy comes not from circumstance, but from seeking God’s presence—“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”

Jesus, in John 15, tells His followers, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” His joy is not shallow or temporary; it’s rooted in abiding in Him, in living connected to His love.

James famously writes, “Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds.” Joy is not the denial of hardship, but the radical trust that God is working in and through it. Paul echoes this in 2 Corinthians 8, pointing to churches who, even in severe trial and poverty, overflowed in rich generosity—a joy that transformed not only their own lives, but the lives of others.

This week, pause to consider: Where is God inviting you to count it all joy? Are there places of struggle or waiting where He is growing new life, new strength, or new generosity in you? The joy of the Lord isn’t something we earn or manufacture—it’s a gift we receive as we remain rooted in Him. Whatever comes, count it all joy. God is at work, and His joy truly is our strength.

Readings
Sun: Psalm 47
Mon: Nehemiah 8:1-12
Tues: Isaiah 65:17-25
Wed: Psalm 63
Thurs: John 15:1-11
Fri: James 1:2-18
Sat: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15