Do you know the deep secret of joy? It has nothing to do with the entertainment industry but it has everything to do with Jesus. Because, you know, nothing but Jesus can give us freedom from all the ugliness in our lives. And that’s not even all. Jesus can save us from eternal separation from the ultimate goodness. Martin Luther explains the deep secret of joy very well:

The heart overflows with gladness, and leaps and dances for the joy it has found in God. In this experience the Holy Spirit is active, and has taught us in the flash of a moment the deep secret of joy. You will have as much joy and laughter in life as you have faith in God.

If you want a heart overflowing with gladness, turn to God.
If you want to experience the real, lasting joy, turn to Jesus.
If you want to be made truly alive, turn to the Holy Spirit.

God gives us salvation freely, unexpectedly, instantly, completely, undeservedly, when we open our hearts to Jesus and receive grace upon grace. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, is the most magical, miraculous experience there is in this world and next. The joy of salvation makes us to dance and rejoice. We are free! We are loved! We are saved! We are healed! Hallelujah!

Let them praise God’s name with dance;
    let them sing God’s praise with the drum and lyre!
Because the Lord is pleased with his people,
    God will beautify the poor with saving help.
(Psalm 149:3-4, CEB,*)

Remind yourself of this deep secret of joy every single day of your life and you will be filled with joy no matter what is going on in your life. Because joy is not about circumstances and pleasant tides, it’s about being united with God Almighty.

Don’t take God granted. Don’t forget to bask in God’s love and grace. Instead, dare to believe. Dare to enjoy the gifts God is giving you. Dare to dance and rejoice: You are free! You are loved! You are saved! You are healed! Hallelujah!

 

Gracious God,
We have so much to be thankful for.
You are the source of our joy.
Thank you for the gift of salvation.
Thank you for the gift of your presence.
We dance, we rejoice, we shout for joy.
Don’t let us ever forget what you’ve done.
Be praised forever and ever!
In Jesus’ name,Amen

Q4U: Do you know the deep secret of joy? Does it change anything in your life?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you dance for the joy you’ve found in God!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.].

Photo courtesy of  Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Dance with Jesus, Faith-filled Fridays, Five Minute Friday.