Gratituesday - Joy No Matter What

Today was your average Tuesday. Work was good (though strangely enough the day seemed a little longer today than yesterday), and I came home to find that my husband had put his day off to good use, helping with some of the housework that I can't get done while I'm at work (OK, he helped with quite a bit). But between work and home was...the prayer room.

While I was in the prayer room tonight God was pressing on my heart the importance of joy, even when things do not seem all that conducive to joy. There were several people on my heart in various tough places, and as I prayed about their circumstances, I heard the Lord say, "Pray for their joy."

Scripture tells us to be joyful in all things, worry for nothing, be gentle toward all, and pray with gratitude in our hearts (Philippians 4), and again to be joyful always, and to pray continually, and to give thanks in all circumstances, not putting out the Spirit's fire (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Not just for my friends and my family, but I so need to hear that, too! Not just to be passively resigned to whatever God has for me at this point in my life, but to relish every single second of the life He's given, rejoicing in ALL things.

As I started meditating on that, this song by Nichole Nordeman came to mind, and I thought I'd share it. When I first heard this song I was somewhat confused by it, because it almost seemed like, "I'll pray for these things, but..." But upon my second listen (ooooh so long ago, we're up way past millionth now) I realized it was more like, "God, I know that only You can change my circumstances, but I'll still praise You, even if they stay the same." Or, as Job said, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him (Job 13:15)."

Gratitude
(Nichole Nordeman)

Send some rain, would You send some rain
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would you send a cloud, thunder long and loud
Let the sky grow dark and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid

But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case

We give thanks to You, with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
And how to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never grant us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups and fill them up again tonight
And would You wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roof
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time

But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We give thanks to You, with gratitude
For lessons learned to hunger after You
And that a starry sky offers a better view
If not roof is overhead
And if we never taste our bread

Oh the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight

But maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case

We give thanks to You, with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace
But, Jesus, would You, please

For more Gratituesday posts, check out Heavenly Homemakers.