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psalm 21

6. For you make him most blessed forever.
        you make him glad withe the joy of your presence.
7. For the king trusts in the Lord,
        and through the steadfast love of the
            Most High he shall not be moved.

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As I was meditating on the Word, I kept being drawn to the word joy. I feel like the word joy evokes such a deeper meaning than happiness, although we tend to interchange the two. I kept thinking, "why did the Psalmist phrase it this way? Why did he just write, 'your presence makes him happy'?"

I think it's because happiness is an emotion; a feeling. Joy, however, is a state of mind; a state of being. And with joy comes a trust in the Lord strong enough where we will not waver. I feel like God is trying to have me realize that He and I have differing definitions of the word "blessed". I can say with confidence, that God is leading me through a season of the wilderness where I can sense He is trying to turn my loneliness into solitude. Where my joy is not rooted in how others view me or how much time others want to spend with me, but rather in the love of God Himself.
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Lord. I thank you for your faithfulness. I thank you that you call your children into a time of intimacy with you. I thank you that you sometimes take drastic measures for that to occur. In this season of traveling through the wilderness, I pray that each passing moment deepens my understanding of your love so that I, too, may find my joy in your presence. I thank you for not giving up on me. For reaching out Your hand and calling me home. I thank You for the grace of allowing me to recognize that invitation. I thank you in advance for the man you're training me to be. Amen

Comments

  1. ShaneSeptember 23, 2018 at 4:22 AM

    I'm glad you're getting this realization in this specific season! What a blessing to be able to sort out joy and call out to God, even if it's tough. In that solitude, and with the feelings of loneliness, let's stick it out together. It's definitely wacky, but God bless your heart and trust in God!!

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