Daily Joy

Day 1: When God Says Move Scripture: Exodus 14:15 (NIV) - Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” Devotional: Sometimes, we mistake stillness for obedience when God is actually saying move . The children of Israel had prayed for deliverance, and when God sent Moses to lead them out, fear gripped them. The Red Sea was in front of them, Pharaoh was behind them, and in their panic, they cried out. But God didn’t tell them to stay stuck in their fear—He told them to move forward. How often do we cry out to God, asking Him for a way out, yet hesitate when He actually opens the door? We hesitate because the unknown feels riskier than the bondage we’ve become familiar with. But when God says move, He has already prepared the way. What looks like an impossible sea before you is actually a path waiting for your obedience. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t have to know every step. But you do have to trust that when God cal...

This past week was a week of expectation. For the first time in a while, I was expecting greater . Not hoping, not wishing, not daydreaming—I was expecting it. And that’s a different type of faith. Expectation makes you sit up a little taller. It makes you clear space for what’s coming. It makes you move like you know something good is about to break through. But let me be real—expectation isn’t always easy. It’s a fight. It means choosing to believe in greater even when life still looks like less . It means preparing for doors to open when all you’ve seen lately are walls. It means waking up each morning and telling doubt, fear, and frustration, “I hear you, but I’m still moving forward.” Because when you expect greater, you don’t just sit around waiting—you start making room for what’s on the way. And making room is uncomfortable. It requires clearing out the clutter—mindsets that don’t serve you, patterns that keep you stuck, people who only know the old version of you and can’t ...

Shake It Off Written by Joy Harris-Bird | Contributing Author - Cathleen Harris I was sitting at work talking to my sister on my break, like we normally do. And she hit me with a revelation I wasn’t ready for. She said, "Jesus called Lazarus forth, but he still had his grave clothes on. But when Jesus was resurrected, He left His behind." That shook me. Because too many of us are trying to walk into new life while dragging dead things with us. God is calling us forward, but instead of stepping into the new, we’re still wrapped in the old. We still carry mindsets, relationships, and habits that no longer fit who we’re becoming. Lazarus came out of the tomb, but he was still bound. Alive, but restricted. Free, but wrapped up in what was. And then there was Jesus. He left the grave clothes behind when He walked out of His grave . He didn’t bring His past into His resurrection. He didn’t hold onto the evidence of what He had been through. And neither should you. But let’s be rea...

Happy Friday, Friends! We made it through the week! Can we just take a moment to celebrate that? Whatever the week brought your way, you’re still here. You’re standing on the other side of hard, and that’s worth pausing for. There were moments this week when it felt like things were too much but look at God! He’s been carrying us the whole time. And now, as we step into the weekend, it’s a chance to let the weight of the week go and lean fully into His joy. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that God doesn’t just carry us through—He gives us joy in the process. That kind of joy isn’t about everything being perfect. It’s about knowing that even in the chaos, God is with you. It’s the kind of joy that makes you smile in the middle of the storm and laugh when you thought you’d be crying. So today, let’s take a moment to breathe, smile, and reflect on how good God has been. Think about the ways He’s carried you this week—the little victories, the answered prayers, the strength to keep...

Happy Friday Jr.! This week has been a journey, hasn’t it? Between Sunday’s reminder that God is still God and the past three days of diving into The Good in the Hard, I don’t know about you, but my spirit feels a little lighter. The truth we’ve been leaning into—that God uses even the hardest seasons for His glory—has been both challenging and encouraging for me. I’ve been reflecting on my own moments of waiting and pain, asking myself, What has God been teaching me through it all? For me, it’s been a reminder to let go of control and trust His timing. Waiting is never easy, and pain doesn’t feel good while you’re in it, but I’m learning that God’s goodness shines even brighter in the midst of it. What about you? Has anything from this week’s devotional resonated with you? Maybe it’s a scripture, a story, or even a song that has stayed with you. Maybe it’s caused you to see your own struggles in a new light. Take a moment today to pause and reflect on these questions: What has God b...

  Day 3: The Good in the Hard Scripture: "But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance."– Genesis 45:7 Devotional: I’ll never forget being bullied in school. There were always kids who had something to say, but one girl stood out above the rest. She didn’t miss a day—every single day, she found a way to pick at me. My clothes. My hair. My smile. She made it her mission to make me feel small. Years later, I received a message from her on social media. And guess what? She wasn’t messaging me to apologize. She needed my help. I wish I could tell you I immediately felt compassion, but I didn’t. I struggled. Everything in me wanted to leave her on read or type something petty. But as I sat with it, I realized something: everything she did to hurt me had actually propelled me toward my purpose. It reminds me of Joseph’s story. Can you imagine the moment he saw his brothers again? The same brothers who betrayed him...