“The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him” (Dwight L. Moody).

I wish I could remember every detail about tonight’s sermon from Michael Boggs at Kairos tonight. Instead of photographic memory, I wish I had phonographic memory, where I could remember every word. Or maybe I could just take notes next time.

The gist of it is that joy is defined as love that expresses itself in obedience.

Obedience is not a popular word in this current time. It’s definitely a non-PC word. We’re taught that we only need to obey our appetites and desires and that no one can tell us what to do or how to do it.

True joy comes from a desire to please God by doing what He says. You heed the words of Jesus and take His yoke upon you only to find that His burden is light and a joy to carry.

Joy involves feelings but it much more than how you feel. It involves happiness but is not dictated by circumstances the way happiness is.

In Nehemiah, it says that the joy of the LORD is your strength. That means that even when my obedience is non-existant and my love has grown cold and my joy is fading that the joy of the Lord will be my strength. Even when I say, “I believe. Lord, help my unbelief,” that in my weakness God’s strength is perfected.

Choose joy. Choose to believe that all that God asks of you is worth whatever the cost, remembering how Jesus endured even the cross for the joy set before Him. Pain and suffering are temporary but true joy is eternal.

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy” (Rabindranath Tagore).