Cultivating Joy in the Midst of Difficult Circumstances - Beloved Women - March 14, 2024

READ: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22 ESV)

TODAY'S ENCOURAGEMENT: What if we got everything we ever wanted when we wanted it? Do you think we’d be happy? Initially, my answer would be an immediate and unapologetic YES, but our happiness would be contingent on our circumstances. Joy is greater. Joy refuses to be controlled by circumstance. She is a fighter. Persisting amidst impossible odds, joy overcomes. Joy understands purposeful pain, though difficult, results in tremendous beauty.

I’ve seen it in countless women who have found a reason to rejoice smack dab in the center of their trials. Whether it was divorce, breast cancer, betrayal, or even in death. There is something awe-inspiring about people who discover joy in spite of tremendous heartache. We are encouraged to embrace this truth by the Apostle Paul when he says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

PRAY: Dear God, Thank You that You are working all things for my good in the midst of whatever I am facing. Please help me to have joy in my difficult circumstances. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.

REFLECT: What are some practical ways you can cultivate joy?

CONNECT: Connect with Kia Stephens at www.kiastephens.com or on Instagram @KiaNStephens.

MORE BELOVED: Join Beloved Women for our current online Bible Study “Worth More Than Rubies: A Bible Study on the 7 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman.” If you’re tired of feeling like you are not enough and you can’t measure up, this study offers a graceful approach to learning about the heart of the Proverbs 31 woman. Learn more and join at https://www.belovedwomen.org/rubies.

© 2021 by Kia Stephens. All rights reserved.

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