Isn't it true that some part of us is in exile from its best version of self?
Is our eating exiling us from our best health?
Is our grudge-holding exiling us from our best peace?
Is our worry exiling us from our best rest?
There are a thousand things to say about each of these, but let's whittle it down to something we can take away on this Monday morning.
Jesus wants us to know joy in this life before we head to eternity. There are enemies of God who want to rob us of that very joy.
The tension and balance of this life require freeing ourselves from the enemy camp to enter into the joy camp.
As we look at the joy factor this week, let's begin by making part of Psalm 119 into our prayer: Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well, use your decrees to put iron in my soul (Message translation).
Write it on your mirror; enter it into your smartphone. Say it over and over: "Lord, I want to use my life to praise you so show me the way to having iron in my soul."
