Anchor Devotional

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Celebrate Joy

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11

Every one of us longs deeply to experience joy. It’s a theme throughout all of Scripture, and there has been much written about joy through the ages. As I think about it today, I wonder, is joy a feeling? Is it a fact? Is it under my control to achieve it? What gives me joy? I’ve filled my journal with ponderings on this vast subject.

John records the words of Jesus over several chapters as He taught His disciples, comforted them (see 14:1-4), and brought them along with Him to the point of His arrest and crucifixion. Most likely, His friends were not feeling joy. For the most part, they were perplexed by the message (see 16:17-19). But He explained why He was imparting all these words: so that His joy would be in them.

There is much in this world that brings us joy, all of it bestowed by the goodness of God, our eternal Father. That’s why even in the face of loss and calamity, His joy is still available. We certainly have the ability to choose joy, but we wouldn’t even have that choice if it weren’t for the joy of Jesus given to us.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
John 15:11-17

INSIGHT
“Though the fig tree does not bud … yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17, 18)

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 33-34
Psalm 87
Acts 9

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