Fullness of Joy

 

Don't ya just love it when God changes your plans??

I had a "Word of the Year" all set for 2022........

.........or so I thought!  I honestly thought (and I do still think this) I heard from God about the word "Loyal".  I had been doing a devotional on the concept of loyal friends in Christ.....sisterhood specifically...I had been mulling and meditating on that word for over a week......and then last evening....BOOM.....the Lord impressed upon my mind the word "JOY".  And it kept coming at me with Scripture, songs, examples and WHY  this  should be my "Word of the Year".

You see, partly it's because I have been sickened by how our world.....both non-Believers and Christ followers.....have been acting/speaking in our nation since about 2016....and it's gotten worse, in my opinion, since the Covid-19 Virus was discovered and spread. With it came a virus of the soul......people are  criticizing and judging others who are different from them either politically, spiritually, academically, relationally, medically.......It's ridiculous how much negativity there is in this nation. Yes, the former president whose last name begins with T had a lot to do with this division and negativity. I have read many editorials as to why this is.  But we can't blame it all on him, can we?  Because each and every person is responsible for their own words and actions.   I see it on fellow bloggers posts (complaints, woe is me attitudes.....with no talk of Christ and yet some proclaim to be His Child!).  I see it on social media (Facebook)...all the negative news/chatter from complaints about wearing a mask to judging some for not getting the vaccine or for getting the vaccine......complaints about the weather and complaints about the world. ENOUGH. I know I cannot expect the unsaved to act like Jesus.  I get it.  The unsaved don't understand Scripture.  His Word tells us this.  But  anyone, no matter if you believe and accept Christ or not, can change the negative talk to positive, joyful talk...yes...even in the midst of trials and hardship. 

I want to cultivate a mood of joy.  I also want to share more on this word of the year with the Scriptures God brought to my mind and why they are so important to us as Christ-followers.  I will save that for another post later this week. 

For now?  JOY.  My Word for 2022.

Former "Words of the Year" 

• 2014:  STILL (based on the Scripture Be Still and Know that I am God)
• 2015: LIBERTY (freedom in Christ)
• 2016: SIMPLIFY (stay in the present moment)
• 2017: TRUST (based on Proverbs 3:5-6, my life Scripture)
• 2018: SAVOR ("oh taste and see that the Lord is good")
• 2019 (no word for this year)
• 2020: THRIVE (based on Colossians 2:7)
• 2021: BELIEVE (in the Lord Jesus Christ; that we can be and do better!)