Scripture Reading
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Devotional Reflection
We’ve come a long way.
Through Lent…
through the Cross…
through the silence…
and into the light of the Resurrection.
And along the way,
we’ve been invited into something deeper.
To follow.
To love.
To remain.
And now, Christ reveals
what all of this leads to.
Not obligation.
Not pressure.
Joy.
This is not passing happiness.
Not something that comes and goes
with circumstances.
This is something deeper.
“My joy… remain in you.”
A steady joy.
A rooted joy.
A joy that does not disappear
when life becomes difficult.
Because it’s not based
on what’s happening around us—
but on who we are connected to.
Joy isn’t something we chase.
It’s something that grows.
When we remain in Christ…
when we live in His love…
joy begins to take root within us.
Not all at once.
But steadily.
Quietly.
And over time,
it becomes something that stays.
Today, don’t try to manufacture joy.
Receive it.
Return to Christ.
Remain in His love.
And allow His life
to shape what you feel.
Even in the middle of ordinary moments…
even in the middle of challenges…
joy can be present.
Because He is.
Closing Prayer
Lord,
You desire not only that I follow You,
but that I share in Your joy.
But I often look for joy
in things that cannot sustain it.
I chase what’s temporary
and overlook what’s lasting.
Draw me back to You.
Help me to remain in Your love—
to stay connected to You
through every moment of my day.
Let Your joy take root within me.
Not a surface-level happiness,
but a deep and steady joy
that comes from knowing You are near.
Even when life feels uncertain,
even when things are not as I would choose,
let that joy remain.
And as it grows within me,
let it shape my outlook,
my responses,
and my life.
Because true joy is not something I create—
it is something I receive from You.
And today, Lord,
I receive it.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.