O give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
those God redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Psalm 107:1-3
Thank: the truth-tellers
Joy is a liberator, always working for the liberation of others. Consider the joy that accompanies forgiveness, the sense that we are free from the sin that controlled our lives. Consider the healing that begins when we finally feel the poison from a toxic circumstance clearing our systems. All of this flows from, and is connected to, joy’s relationship with the truth. It is hard to feel joyful if you cannot recognize or tell the truth about your life. The circumstances of your life don’t need to change for you to experience joy; plenty of people who have lived in hardship have made space for joy in the midst of their turmoil. But we do need the courage of an honest truth.
Today, journal or reflect about a truth-teller, someone who has helped you find, recognize, or name the truth in your life. How has joy flowed from that encounter? How might God call you to create this joyful freedom for others?