I will sing the Joy.

 I Will Sing the Joy

A Reflection on Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11, and John 15:11

I will sing the joy—not the fleeting smile of circumstance,

But the deep, abiding gladness that gives my soul a second chance.

It is not happiness dependent on the day's events,

But the steady, settled strength that heaven's presence lends.

The joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

I will sing the joy that rises in the morning,

Not because the sky is bright,

But because the God of mercy greets me with His light.

I will sing it in the midnight hour, when sleep refuses rest,

Because the One who watches over me is always blessed.

This joy does not ignore the pain or hide the bitter tear.

It walks beside me in the fire and whispers, "I am here."

It is the oil of gladness for the heavy, grieving heart,

The calm assurance that we never are apart.

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11)

I will sing the joy that springs from knowing You,

A joy that no trial can take, a joy that is ever new.

It is the unshakable confidence that You are working all for good,

The gladness that my Savior has already understood.

Joy—not a feeling I must fake,

But a fruit of the Spirit that no circumstance can break.

It is the song of the redeemed, the anthem of the free,

The melody of heaven, the hope that lives in me.

“I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

So I will sing the joy—in the valley and the peak,

In the silence and the suffering, in the victory and the weak.

I will sing it with my voice, I will sing it with my life,

I will sing it through the joy and through the strife.

I will sing the joy—not because life is easy or fair,

But because I know that You are there.

Your joy is my strength, my shield, my song,

My hope, my peace, my whole life long.

Amen.