Joy. We all know the word and we all want to have joy, but do we know the joy of being used by God? Do we know the joy of walking by faith day after day? We can have joy.

We as children of God are to mediate on His Word every day and we are given joy according to Psalm 19:8. We can have comfort when anxiety comes according to Psalm 94:19. As we are obedient to his commands and we walk in love he gives us joy unspeakable. And as we His children sit with Him in His presence we are filled with His joy; Psalm 16:11. Another one of my favorites is having perseverance during the trials we face in our day to day lives. We know the Word of God tells us that hard times will come, but we must not give up. God promises in Psalm 126: 5-6 “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”

I found this cute little poem about planting a Garden of Joy which I want to share with you:

Plant 5 rows of Peas:
Prayer, perseverance, politeness, promptness, and purity

Plant 3 rows of Squash:
Squash gossip, squash criticism, and squash indifference.

Plant 5 rows of lettuce:
Let us be faithful to duty; let us be unselfish; let us be truth- ful; let us follow Christ; let us love one another.

No garden is complete without Turnips:
Turn up for church; turn up with a smile; turn up with new ideas; turn up with determination to make everything count for something good and worthwhile.

We can experience joy in spite of our circumstances!

Author's Bio: 

Sandra Hersey is a Minister, Christian Life Coach for Women,
Author, Motivational Speaker, and the Founder of G.I.R.L.S ~
Girls Inspiring Real Life Success.

A particular emphasis of Sandra’s ministry and practice
is empowering women by helping them find their purpose and
live their life with passion. Sandra is passionate about
helping women change certain areas of their lives; whether it
is their walk with Christ, their relationships, their bodies, or
their careers.