Home Tools for your Journey July 2

Wednesday, July 2

I will be glad and rejoice in you…
—Psalm 9:2

Many things in life bring us joy. Sometimes it is the accomplishment of a project into which we have invested energy and spirit. Or it may be the glory and wonder of nature that suddenly shakes us from lethargy and halts our breath. Perhaps it is that moment when we fall in love or remember once again that we are in love with the one who has claimed our heart for years.

Or it may be as simple as being given a languorous morning with breakfast in bed. When we feel such joy, our heart fills with the gladness that is as enthralling as a vibrant, vivid parade.

As delightful as such gladness is it is not permanent. Life will always take a turn, times will change, the moment of exaltation will pass, and we will find our emotions tempered by the new circumstances around us. So we continue to seek to find the elixir of life that will keep us off the emotional teeter-totter. We want the elixir of life that will keep us feeling steady and full on a consistent and constant basis. But we are always being disappointed.

When, however, we place the deepest longing of our soul into the hands of heaven, we find an unexpected treasure. The Holy One fills our longing with an untold joy we had searched for in vain. We discover that even when life tries to flatten our heart, the joy that is found in God’s embrace is secure, and our soul can bask in the still and joyful presence of God.

O God, keep me from mistaking the momentary gladness of earth for the eternal joy of heaven.

The Signposts for July are written by Renée Miller and originally appeared on explorefaith.org in 2004.