---

For this series, we’re doing something really fun with our devotionals. As we welcome back some of our favorite pastors and teachers from years past on Sunday mornings, we’re going to “welcome back” devotionals from the past few years! We hope you enjoy these posts that garnered quite the heartfelt response when they first found their way into your inbox and on the Willow app.

I vividly remember the first time I felt a super intense joy that could have only been from the Lord. I was a leader in our youth ministry in our little city church. We had taken the teens on a retreat and were in the Friday evening worship–kicking off the weekend. It was as if some switch had been flipped, and I couldn’t help but raise my hands in praise and sing my heart out. It’s important that you know I cannot carry a tune to save my life–let’s just say that I have always been thankful the Bible says make a joyful noise unto the Lord (Psalm 100:1, KJV) and not a beautiful one, if you know what I mean.

Nonetheless, I was compelled to worship with all my being and could sense God’s joy and delight over the entire room, especially in me. I was experiencing exactly what the Bible says when we read in the Scripture for today, “You will fill me with joy in Your presence.” I realized that until that moment, I had been holding back–almost guarding myself in His presence. I had seen people around me with vibrant lives in Jesus, and I had settled into believing I wasn’t one of those people. I had subtly decided that my walk would be more subdued and tempered if you will. 

It’s true, feelings of happiness and joy are not the same thing. Meaning you can feel happy, but joy tends to be more like a steady presence. You can also feel sad, anxious, and overwhelmed and allow those feelings to block the joy of the Lord from permeating the places within that He longs to soak in healing and happiness. And that had been my experience in my faith walk with Jesus until that point–I had been blocking the joy of the Lord and settling into an apathetic walk of faith. But something that day broke through, and beginning that evening, a steady presence of joy became present in my life.

It is good to remember that God is a God of intimacy–so He will continue to pursue us, offering us experiences of Him that help break away whatever might be standing in the way of His joy. Taking notice of these moments helps us discover His steady presence of joy and leads to a deeper relationship with Him! 

Next Steps

Do you remember a time when you sensed God’s joy in your life? Reflect on the situation and praise Him for meeting you there.

Consider spending time with God and asking Him if there is anything you might be holding on to that is blocking His joy from permeating your soul.