Joyful
Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength! ~ Nehemiah 8:10b (CEB)
Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. ~ Philippians 4:4 (NCV)
Good Lord, you give many wonderful gifts. You are obviously very generous. And I am very glad to know you. There is nothing that you do that makes me unhappy. So, since I have so much from you and I am a friend of yours, why do I still pursue happiness elsewhere? I look to food, entertainment, thrills, projects... None of which are necessarily bad -- except that I try to find my joy in them, apart from you. Please keep me mindful of your role in all that happens in my life. I'm going to be filled with joy -- the kind of joy that comes from you. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
