“Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

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

Scripture Text: (PS 67:2-3, 5, 7-8)

R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!

May God have pity on us and bless us;

may he let his face shine upon us.

So may your way be known upon earth;

among all nations, your salvation.

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

May the nations be glad and exult

because you rule the peoples in equity;

the nations on the earth you guide.

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

The earth has yielded its fruits;

God, our God, has blessed us.

May God bless us,

and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

Here’s a simple observation: Joy doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It always flows as a response to something else.

So what’s our source for joy?

Joy isn’t just a feeling. It’s also a decision on our part to God to be thankful, to be positive, and to keep our focus on the way God’s salvation is unfolding in our lives. It’s a call to stay rooted in the Lord and to remain thankful for all that he has done for us. It’s an invitation to celebrate all that he’s doing right now. And it’s a reminder of all that he is going to do in the future. This is encouraging news, because if joy was just a feeling, it might come and go at any moment, like the wind. But it’s so much more.

So come and share in your master’s joy today (Matthew 25:23).