Reality one: God is joy. 
God doesn’t just give, know, or have joy. God is joy. He is permeated with it. Joy is God's nature. He is joyful all the time in all aspects and circumstances. There is joy in this universe because it is what God is.

Yes, it’s a little more complicated than that. Follow this for a minute. God is also all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere-present. He is all-loving, always truthful, and entirely just. Because God is absolute and pure, He cannot be partially "this or that." His every attribute is who He is, through and through, all the time.

This means that this absolutely pure God is purely and absolutely joy.

This concept may take some time to sink in, which is partly why we will spend the next 30 days reading, thinking, praying, and acting on it. So start: if God is pure joy, then pure joy is all around you, all the time, and available to you, all the time.

Reality two: You were made for joy.
You were made to be like God. (In His image, Gen. 1:26). God meant for you always to have joy.

Yes, it's more complicated than this, too. But stay with me: the Bible says, The fruit of the Spirit is… joy… (Gal. 5:22-23). If you have the Holy Spirit within you, then His fruit constantly grows within you. 

Now, joy might not be your most dominant feeling in any given moment. But joy is always there for a person walking with the Holy Spirit. If not playing in the foreground, then playing in the background, like music coming softly from the next room. If you listen to it, you can hear it playing constantly, in every circumstance. 

This may be how James generated the audacity to say, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” James 1:3, (NIV). Because even in your worst trial, deep within your soul, joy is there. Once you know this, you can tap into it to lift you up a rung or two whenever you feel like your heart is in the basement.

How This Campaign Works
You've probably heard that it takes 21 days to build a new habit. We must unlearn old habits to replace them with new ones. During these 30 Days, we will practice a new mental habit—the habit of finding joy in every moment.

Right now, it’s likely that you have some misperceptions about joy. Maybe you’ve thought, “It’s fleeting.” Or “It’s dependent on how I’m feeling.” Or “It’s more for other people than for me." In these next 30 days, we will become masters of joy. We will learn God's great truths about joy by reading one Biblical idea about it daily, hearing a sermon every Sunday, and discussing it with friends during the week. 

We are starting now!

Here’s our first Biblical idea:
…in your presence is fullness of joy… - Psalm 16:11b (NASB)

If you could be in God’s presence right now, you could have full and complete joy. And if you are a Christian, you are in God’s presence right now! 

In David's day, the Lord dwelt on earth in the Holy of Holies, inside the Temple. But when Jesus died for our sins, Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:51

God tore down the curtain and came out to be with us everywhere. If you have become a Jesus-follower, God's Spirit lives in you! (Romans 8:9).

So absorb this today: Because God’s presence lives in me, I have joy inside me, 24/7!

Pray this prayer as we begin: Lord Jesus, thank You for living in me and bringing joy to me every moment. Over these next 30 days, help my brothers and sisters in Christ and me learn to live in Your joy moment by moment, no matter the circumstances. In Jesus' name, Amen!

The Apostle Paul expressed a terrific wish for you: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). 
This benediction-like verse supplies three fundamental facts about joy:

1. God is the One who fills me with joy.
Yesterday, we learned that joy always plays in our souls. This verse hints that to be filled with all joy, God has to do the filling.

2. Having joy may be natural, but full joy is not automatic.
 I can have joy within me, but God has to do something for me to mine it fully.

3. When I’m filled with joy, I also overflow with hope.
God’s attributes are bundled together. When I get one, I get them all.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king of Persia when he learned that his ancestral city, Jerusalem, was in ruins. "I sat down and wept," he said (Neh. 1:4). What he did then is a textbook study of how to let joy propel you to great things.

When his tear ducts emptied, he fasted, prayed, and appealed to the king. "Send me to the city where my ancestors are buried so that I may rebuild it," he requested (Neh. 2:5).

With the king's blessing, he recruited some friends and rode to Jerusalem. He inspected the wall, formulated a plan (Neh. 2:11-16), cast vision to rebuild it (Neh. 2:17-18), resisted a ton of opposition (Neh. 2:19; 4:8; 6:2, 11), motivated and encouraged people to join him in rebuilding the wall, and got the job done in a miraculous 52 days! (Neh. 6:15). Then, like all good leaders, he threw a party to celebrate the accomplishment (Neh. 12:27).

Amid this giant job, Nehemiah peels back the curtain on his heart to reveal how he got it all done. “The joy of the Lord is my strength,” he said (Neh. 8:10). 

What Happened?
The initial news about Jerusalem’s vulnerability brought Nehemiah to sorrow. But he quickly turned both his mood and his situation around. How?

1. He sought God through prayer and fasting.
2. With God’s help, he thought through how to solve the problem.
        3. He moved forward, step by step, despite opposition.
Those three steps are a template for walking with God: (1) connect with Him (through prayer, both talking and listening), (2) think and listen, and do what He tells you to do, and (3) move forward in faith without quitting.

Yesterday’s thought was: I have joy down inside me.
Today’s addition is: I can be filled with joy by walking with God.

Your assignment (should you choose to accept it) is to have a Nehemiah day by living Nehemiah's way of letting the joy of the Lord be your strength!

Pray with me: Father, Your joy is my strength. I ask You to fill me with joy today. I purpose to do the things You've asked me to do, and as I do them, lead me not into temptation but deliver me from the evil one. In Jesus' name, Amen!

You can be filled with joy without ever leaving your chair. How do I know this? I’ve experienced it. And there’s a Psalm about it.

In Psalm 4, David is sitting in his chair. He’s troubled. Follow with me the line of his thinking. “Answer me when I call, God who vindicates me. You freed me from my affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer…” (v. 1).

David had an “affliction,” but quickly, through prayer, it dissolved. Still, some questions are bothering him. “How long, exalted ones, will my honor be insulted? How long will you love what is worthless and pursue a lie?” (v. 2). Important people are saying bad things about him and doing destructive things.

“Know that the Lord has set apart the faithful for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him” (v. 3). He’s claiming what he knows to be true. With God’s help, he’s thinking clearer thoughts.

“Be angry and do not sin; reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent. Offer sacrifices in righteousness and trust in the Lord” (vs. 4-5). He’s talking to himself. “David,” he’s saying, “calm down and think straight; do the right thing.”
 
“Many are asking, ‘Who can show us anything good?’ Let the light of your face shine on us, Lord” (v. 6). His answer to his own question is, God – God is the One who can show us what's good. Can you see how his mood and thinking have turned around? David's perspective and attitude have been transformed by sitting with the Lord!

“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and new wine abound” (v. 7). David's mood has so changed that when he looks for something to compare it with, he thinks about the last harvest party he attended. It's a great picture. They were dancing in the moonlight! Everyone was so happy that the harvest had come in, and they'd have enough to eat for months to come.

In seven verses, David went from "Answer me, Lord!" to "There is so much joy in my heart!". He didn't get up. He didn't walk around. He just talked with God and let the Lord direct his thoughts.

That can happen in your chair, today, and every day. Sit. Pray. Read some Scripture. Listen to what God wants to say to you.

Your situation doesn’t have to change for your joy to change. You can experience joy while sitting in your chair.

Pray with me: Lord, thank You for making joy available to me. Speak to me as I sit in my chair today and tomorrow. Direct my thoughts as we're together. And let Your face shine on me all day long. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Yesterday, in Psalm 4, we saw King David go from feeling insulted to feeling joy without ever leaving his chair. You might think, "Well, being insulted isn't that hard to get over." But what about being convicted of sin?

In Psalm 32, David’s heart is six feet under. He’s committed adultery, then murder, then watched his newborn die (2 Sam. 11). To top it off, Nathan the prophet sticks his finger in David’s face and says, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the Lord’s command by doing what I consider evil?’”  (2 Samuel 12:7-9).

To his credit, David repents and asks God’s forgiveness. He writes an entire Psalm about it (Psalm 51). Then, he writes Psalm 32 to record his journey from sin to joy.

He starts by summing up that journey. “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” (Ps. 32:1).

He describes how he felt before confessing. “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat” (vs. 3-4). 

How do you come back from such sad feelings? 

Here's how David did it. “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (vs. 5-6).

He continues, “Therefore, let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately. When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance” (vs. 6-7).

How did David come back to joy? He acknowledged his sin. The feelings of forgiveness were so strong he wanted to tell everyone, “pray immediately”! – Don’t let your sin fester.

Is there something you've done that's keeping you from joy today? Confess it. Say, "Lord, I'm sorry. I admit what I did was wrong. With Your help, I purpose to never do such a thing again." If your sin has wounded somebody, well, call them. Ask forgiveness right there on the phone, or invite them to coffee so you can do it face to face.

You’ll feel so much better.

Of course, if all is right with you and God, and you and everyone in your world, you can pray, Lord, thank You for keeping me from evil. Continue to lead me, not into temptation, please! In Jesus' name.

Technically, joy isn’t a feeling; it’s a choice. Happiness is a feeling; it’s prompted by circumstances. But let’s be honest, when something good happens to you, you feel joy, along with happiness, don’t you?

That happened to the people of Israel when David defeated Goliath: 6 As the troops were coming back, when David was returning from killing the Philistine, the women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul, singing and dancing with tambourines, with shouts of joy, and with three-stringed instruments (1 Samuel 18:6).

The Philistines had menaced them for years. They had stolen their crops, enslaved their children, and killed their husbands. Finally, the nation is safe. God has defeated this enemy.

When good things happen to us, we feel joyful. God made us that way. The Bible records no less than 36 times when God’s people rejoiced because He’d done something for them. Walk through this brief list and think about how you’d feel if you had been there.

• Psalm 66:6 – they rejoiced when God dried up the Jordan, and they walked across on dry ground.
• 1 Chronicles 29:9 – they rejoiced when their leaders gave generously towards the Temple building fund.
• Psalm 122:1 – they rejoiced when they got to go to the Temple and worship.
• 2 Kings 11:20 – they rejoiced when a son of David was crowned.
• Nehemiah 12:43 – they rejoiced when the wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt.
• Luke 1:58 – they rejoiced when Elizabeth announced she was pregnant.
• John 20:20 – they rejoiced at Jesus’ resurrection.
• Acts 16:34 – the Philippian jailer rejoiced that he and his family had come to believe in Jesus.

Just thinking about some of the things God has done for me makes me joyful. 

• He saved me.
• He's forgiven me over and over again.
• He gave me the spiritual gifts of teaching, leadership, and wisdom.
• He’s guided my path.
• He gave me a wonderful wife.
• He prevented my son from dying when he got meningitis at three weeks old.
• He's given me an incredible family and an incredible church family.
• He’s building me a home in heaven.

What has God done for you? Make a list of 5-10 items, and let that be the contents of your prayer today.

Lord, I rejoice that You have [insert your blessings here] … for me/to me. I am filled with encouragement and overflowing with joy today. What a good God You are!

Each day this week, we've been looking at how to enjoy God. We learned that…
1. God is joy, so I can have massive joy 24/7, Ps. 16:11
2. When I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I am filled with joy, Rom. 15:13.
3. I can experience great joy by sitting with God, Ps. 4:1-7.
4. Confessing my sin can restore God’s joy in me, Ps. 32:1.
5. Thinking about good things God has done can bring me joy, 1 Samuel 18:6.

Let’s add one more: Thinking about good things God will do can bring me joy.

Humans may be the only species with the ability to imagine the future. God wired us with the capacity to get excited about events that haven't yet happened: an upcoming graduation, vacation, or wedding can trigger feelings of joy. 

In Revelation 19, John describes the ultimate graduation, vacation, and wedding all rolled into one.
   Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading    
   waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying,
   Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns!
   7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,
   because the marriage of the Lamb has come,
   and his bride has prepared herself (Revelation 19:6-7).

This is “The Wedding Supper of the Lamb.” It’s the ultimate party at the end of the age. All believers will be there, ready to be wed forever to Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Imagine the party: every believer from every generation. We’re all clothed in post-resurrection bodies. We’re all dressed in white because the stain of sin has been permanently erased. Jesus has met with each of us and personally wiped every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4). Imagine the hugs, high-fives, and “thank yous” that will circulate. And imagine the joy – pure joy that will last forever. 

And so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Always. Forever.

Thinking about God's future for us is such a good way to put a smile on your face and joy in your heart!

Lord, thank You for the party, and the place, and the plans You have for my future! I rejoice today in what’s coming on that day. In Jesus’ name, Amen!