enjoy the scenery

“The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)

I tend to agree with C. S. Lewis when he said, “I’m not sure God wants us to be happy.” But God does want us to be joyful – there’s a difference. Happiness often depends on happenings, circumstances, and feelings, but joy depends only on Jesus. Like Paul, we can learn to be content in any and every situation because we “can do everything through him who gives [us] strength.” (Philippians 4:13) It’s God’s joy that empowers us – He has a limitless supply from which we can draw every day, every moment.

Eugene Peterson’s update on Solomon’s wisdom encourages us to “make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now.” (Ecclesiastes 5:19 – 20). There are over two hundred references to joy in God’s word . . . “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (Psalm 28:7) Veggie Tales has a catchy little song that summarizes this verse succinctly – “a thankful heart is a happy heart.” Joy also has a way of rubbing off on others. Mother Teresa said that joy is “a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

Wherever the journey takes us, we can enjoy the scenery as we go. No matter what today’s circumstances look like, there’s always something beautiful to admire, something to be thankful for, and something to look forward to! Enjoying the scenery is a choice, and a secure choice, because God’s tender compassions are new every morning; his stability and faithfulness are abundant (Lamentations 3:23).