Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals. (Zep 3:14-18a)
There are so many things in life that bring us down, aren’t there? We find ourselves downcast many times.
There is a source of joy available to us all: God.
God is in our midst.
We only need to open our eyes and our hearts to be able to find him.
The world is filled with stories of hate. It is also filled with stories of love.
It is filled with stories of apathy. It is also filled with stories of care.
It is filled with stories of horror. It is also filled with stories of elation.
If you don’t like what you are seeing or hearing, change the “channel.” There are plenty of good things happening in our world. There is no need to focus on the bad.
FAITH ACTION: Do you have a tendency to allow the world to get you down? Change your focus and look for something good today. Find the good and celebrate it!