In His Presence is Fullness of Joy (Will You Take Action?)

I want to start this post off with a simple statement and question that go along with the title. In His presence is fullness of joy. My question is this, will you sit in God's presence today, and allow Him to fill you with joy, hope, and love?

I realize that this seems like a simple request, but I have found that just because things are simple does not necessarily make them easy.

It is not a complicated task to sit in silence for 10 minutes and allow God to fill you up and breathe life into you, but it is difficult to put aside all the distractions long enough to do so. Most of us have so much going on that a couple of minutes are precious to us. That is enough time to throw in a load of laundry, respond to some emails, or pay a few bills. It is so easy to push time with God to the back burner because it’s not always obvious how spending time with Him will help us complete everything we need to get done. We don’t always prioritize time in God’s presence, because it does not seem urgent concerning our worldly circumstances.In my experience, when I prioritize God’s presence, not only am I more efficient and make better decisions, but I do everything with more joy and peace in my heart. There are times when I go to work and have a tranquil day with very few distractions, but I go home at the end of the day, frustrated and feeling like I did not accomplish anything. Then there are days where it seems like complete Chaos. Nothing goes as I plan, and I do not check anything off my to-do list, but I still go home feeling joyous and hopeful.

The difference is the presence of God. Because in His presence is fullness of joy!

I have a friend that has been battling a deadly disease for a long time. This disease has taken just about every worldly thing away from him. It has dramatically depleted his finances, kept him from being physically active, taken him out of work, and stressed him out to the point to where it has put a strain on his relationships with those closest to him.He has prayed and spoken out in faith for years for God to heal him, but God has not fully answered that yet. This man has every reason to be bitter and angry, but all you need to do is spend 5 minutes talking to him, and you will see that he is full of joy, hope, and love. His faith is stronger than ever. The reason that this man is still so joyous, even amid such a storm, is because he reaches out every day for the presence of God.The Word tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and it also tells us that in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). The joy of the Lord allows us to face every single situation, no matter how difficult, with hope and love in our hearts, and the primary way that we receive that joy is by getting into the presence of God.

With this in mind, isn't time in God's presence, the most important thing?

Very rarely do we have control over our circumstances, but we do have control over how we handle them. When we take the time to get into the presence of God, He fills us up with a peace that transcends our understanding and allows us to face any circumstance with joy in our heart.

My request today is simply this, understand that in His presence is fullness of joy. Now, be still in God's presence. Whether you have 10 hours of free time today or 5 minutes, make time in the presence of your heavenly father a priority!

Allow the Great I am, the Creator of the heavens and the earth to remind you of how much He loves and cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Rest in Him and receive that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:20). Allow Him to solidify you with His promises of being your strength and your refuge (Psalm 18:2). There is nothing you can do that will have a more powerful impact in your present circumstances.