Choose Joy Today

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

When trials and sorrow come my way,

by God’s grace, I’ll choose joy today.

Not because life is easy with Jesus,

but because in him I have all I need

to fight this battle victoriously.

With his vision, I can see that he is

working in my time of waiting.

He has always taken what seems bad

and flipped it to be for my good.

So when trials and sorrow head my way,

because of Jesus, I’ll choose joy today.

It’s not a joy that is oblivious to the harsh realities of life.

It’s not a joy that bypasses all hardship or strife.

It’s a joy that is rooted deeply in God’s lavish grace.

It’s a joy that keeps me slowly inching forward in faith.

This unexplainable joy looks to hope yet unseen,

knowing he is with me when I’m in between

a valley and a mountain, a storm and a rainbow,

No—life isn’t ever easy, but I trust what he says, so . . .

I’ll lean on him when the light is dim,

and I’ll trust in him when the future seems bleak.

I’ll ask for strength when my soul is weak,

and I’ll raise my hands in abundant praise,

as I speak of his joy that is mine today.

Word before World In Christ, we can count every sorrow and suffering as joy, knowing that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness (see James 1:3-5).

Grow in Grace What circumstances in your life make it difficult to choose joy? Consider writing a statement or a poem that proclaims your commitment to follow Jesus and embrace his joy, even when it doesn’t make sense.