My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts"); document.writeln("of the Lord; my heart and flesh"); document.writeln("sing for joy to the living God.1
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Our mouths were filled with laughter, our"); document.writeln("tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, \'€śThe Lord has done great things for them.\'€ť2
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\'€śIt is not so much the joy"); document.writeln("of the Lord we are seeking as the Lord of joy Himself.\'€ť - C.S. Lewis
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In 2008, Honda created a \'€śMusical"); document.writeln("Road\'€ť in Lancaster, California for a car commercial. The idea was that when you"); document.writeln("drove over the grooves in the road at 55 mph, you would hear the \'€śWilliam Tell"); document.writeln("Overture\'€ť producing a moment of joy along your drive. However, the"); document.writeln("music-producing grooves weren\'€™t properly spaced out and the song sounded"); document.writeln("off-key. After a month of hearing the warbled tune, nearby residents became"); document.writeln("annoyed and petitioned the city to remove the musical road from their street."); document.writeln("So, the \'€śMusical Road\'€ť was moved to a different part of town. Since then, other"); document.writeln("American cities have created their own \'€śmusical roads\'€ť. Tourists from all"); document.writeln("around drive to these locations in search of a moment of joy on their journey.
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For many, this music is a"); document.writeln("cause of superficial joy and they are satisfied by the momentary feeling of"); document.writeln("happiness that comes from hearing the music; though they aren\'€™t interested in"); document.writeln("looking into the source that creates this music. Others become so entranced by"); document.writeln("the feeling of joy the music produces that they have to pull over to look"); document.writeln("deeper into the source and really listen to the music, wanting to experience"); document.writeln("that joy over and over.
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As Christians, Jesus is the"); document.writeln("source of our joy. When we have spent time with God, our joyous attitude"); document.writeln("becomes infectious to those we come in contact with. We become the \'€śMusical"); document.writeln("Road\'€ť that others hear. Some will seek to be near us for a moment of joy; they\'€™ll"); document.writeln("want to know more about where the source of our joy comes from. Yet others may"); document.writeln("have no interest in hearing our joyful music and ask us to move elsewhere and"); document.writeln("that\'€™s ok, because at least they have heard and been in the presence of the"); document.writeln("Lord\'€™s joy\'€”something they will remember as they continue through life\'€™s"); document.writeln("journey. God has chosen us to be His vessels through which He can spread the"); document.writeln("fruit of the Spirit\'€”including joy! Seek to spend time near the Lord so your"); document.writeln("joyful song will be finely tuned for others to hear.
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Suggested prayer: Dear"); document.writeln("Lord, fill me with your joy today and let me be the song others hear that"); document.writeln("brings them to you. Use me, Lord, for your glory, In Jesus\'€™ name, Amen.
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1. "); document.writeln("Psalm 84:2"); document.writeln("(ESV).
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Today\'€™s Encounter was"); document.writeln("written by: Veronica B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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