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Hi my friends, welcome to Day 26, Choose Joy!

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Nehemiah 8, 10 says, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the smeet, and send portions to those for

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whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the

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Lord is your strength. This is one of my favorite passages in scripture because it just expresses

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the heart of God. You know, the Israelites were aware of their sin, they had just found the law,

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the book of the Bible, and they were convicted. And Nehemiah is saying, no, you know, don't sorrow,

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like the joy of the Lord is your strength. Celebrate his goodness, celebrate who God is.

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And so today, you know, choose joy. It's an act that can transform our outlook and

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strengthen our resolve. You know, in Nehemiah we're reminded that joy is not dependent on

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our circumstances, but rooted in our relationship with God. So let's choose to embrace the joy that

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comes from God and to share this joy with others. You see, when we're pursuing our dream,

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it is like a roller coaster. There are so many unexpected twists and turns, and it's easy for us

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to lose heart, for us to be frustrated sometimes in our own weaknesses, our own failures or struggles.

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But when we reflect on the goodness of God, it can bring us the joy and the strength to continue

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forward in our intentionality of pursuing our dreams. So our activation for today is what

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brings you joy. How can you choose joy in your circumstances? And then take time to identify

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something joyful that you can engage in today, whether it's spending time with friends,

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a hobby, being in nature, creating something, you know, having a feast, going out to dinner

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and celebrating. Just be joyful in who God is today. So let me pray for you, my friends. So God,

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thank you. Thank you for the gift of joy. Thank you that you understand the joy that was set

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before you on the cross, and that even though you endured great pain, that you were able to see

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beyond that. And so too for my friends. God, I pray that they'd be able to choose joy in every

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situation, the challenging ones, the painful ones, and the good ones, and that they would just share

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this joy with others. May their hearts be just full of the gratitude and the goodness of God,

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and that they would celebrate the blessings in their life. Lord, help them to be carriers of

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this joy and may you strengthen them with your joy this day. In Jesus name, Amen. Okay, my friends,

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I hope you have a joyful day and I'll see you again tomorrow.