April 29, 2026

Joy is assuredly a choice. No matter what is going on in our lives, we are to “count it all joy.” Success is not judged by single moments. Neither is joy. We know we have a loving Father God who longs to bless us. He longs to train us in His lessons. So even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is always with us, guiding us, loving us and bringing us through every challenge. We hear stories of unanswered prayers that end up being a blessing or the catalyst for a significant life change. Often God must use extreme change to get us on the path He’s been leading us to all along.

When things go wrong, we only think they are wrong because we didn’t consider that pathway an answer from God. Living in the Kingdom of God is an exciting life. Opportunities, new adventures, and surprising twists become commonplace events as God works His plan and walks beside us. Our maturity develops as we adapt to the changes in plans. It is easier to count it all joy once we understand we are leading Kingdom lives and we are part of an evolving story.

We choose joy. We choose obedience. We choose to follow the lead of our loving God. Destiny awaits those who surrender their own ideas and goals and willingly submit their lives to God.

Father God, Thank You for calling me to follow You. My own plans and ideas often led me to move away from Your will for my life. While sometimes the things I did were good, they were not the things You asked me to do. Help me develop Kingdom thinking, Lord. Kingdom thinking weaves Your will like a beautiful scarlet thread from person to person. When we all hear Your voice and we do what You’ve called us to do, we become the miracles that give this world hope, and we become the hope that produces eternal results.

God Gives Us Unity

Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. Romans 15:4