God Cares About Your Joy

SCRIPTURE OF THE NIGHT

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love... These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." — John 15:9–11 (ESV)

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this gentle reflection, Robert Hampshire shares how his early view of Christianity as joyless was transformed through the words of Jesus in John 15. Far from being a distant rule-giver, God delights in our joy. When we abide in His love and live in obedience to His Word, we experience the fullness of true joy—not fleeting pleasure, but lasting, soul-deep joy.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Heavenly Father,
You who created us know us best. And you alone are the one who can make known to us the path of life, and in you alone are pleasures forevermore. Help me to trust your plan for my life, to seek true, lasting joy that is only found in you, and to abide in you and in your love.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• God desires your joy to be full, not just your behavior to be disciplined.

• Abiding in Christ means resting in His love, obeying His ways, and inviting Him into every part of life.

• Our culture often defines joy through entertainment, but God defines it through intimacy with Him.

• True joy flows naturally when we live for God's glory, not the world’s approval.

CALL TO ACTION

• Subscribe to Your Nightly Prayer for restful, scripture-based meditations.

• Share this message with someone who needs a reminder of God’s heart for their happiness.

• Reflect in your journal on how you’ve misunderstood joy—and how God is redeeming it.

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