The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States Daily Devotional for Friday, 16 June 2017 "Joy in Times of Stress" Read Psalm 118:21-24

The Upper Room in Nashville, Tennessee, United States Daily Devotional for Friday, 16 June 2017 "Joy in Times of Stress" Read Psalm 118:21-24

Psalm 118:21 I am thanking you because you answered me;
you became my salvation.
22 The very rock that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone!
23 This has come from Adonai,
and in our eyes it is amazing.
24 This is the day Adonai has made,
a day for us to rejoice and be glad.

------- This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. [Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)]
My husband and I were going through some difficult times with work-related stress and financial worries. We had moved back to the United States after living in another country. We accepted the first jobs we were offered. Pinching pennies became a way of life as we struggled to pay our bills on our new incomes. The need to find better employment overshadowed our lives. The stress made it difficult to enjoy life, and over time it began to wear on us.
One morning as I was meditating, the verse quoted above came to my mind. For the first time in a while, I thought about joys that I could find in the world every day. I remembered that a walk in the woods had brought me close to the fresh scent of trees and soil, the musical sound of birds conversing, and the feeling of a gentle breeze across my face. And it didn’t cost a dime!
Scripture helped me realize that every day can bring something to enjoy, if I will only look for it. In time my husband and I got back into the habit of seeing God’s gifts right in front of us, and that went a long way toward easing our stress. The Lord has created many reasons to rejoice and be glad within this day and every day.
Read more from the author, here. 
More from Courtney Hill Gulbro

I’ve found that becoming aware of and reflecting on God’s bounty can bring comfort and joy at any time. But if we’re not in the habit of doing that, we might tend to dwell on problems or suffering. As with any new habit, it takes purposeful practice to make it part of our routine. 
By pausing, say, three times a day to bring our focus to God’s gifts (like a robin’s song, or a flower’s scent, or the fireflies’ dance), we are giving ourselves three moments of peace and perhaps joy every day. I like to time those moments with something that I do regularly. That seems to help me make it part of my daily activities. What I like most, though, is to go for a walk outdoors, preferably in the woods. When we build these moments into our routine we are more likely to readily tap into that healing presence in times of hardship or pain.
To help shift my thinking to an even deeper peace I like to thank God each time I notice one of God's gifts. Admittedly I’m not always consistent with this, but when my mind and heart are filled with awareness of God’s love and grace, there’s less room for thoughts of worry or pain. And that brings me closer to God. [Courtney Hill Gulbro]

The Author: Courtney Hill Gulbro (Alabama, USA)
Thought for the Day: God made today, and that is a reason to rejoice!
Prayer: Loving Father, help us to allow the joy of your world to reach us even during times of stress. Amen.

Prayer focus: Someone struggling financially
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