She stole my joy.
A woman attended our church when I was a kid. For 18 months, she stalked my dad. After meeting with my dad (the senior pastor of our church), this woman made our lives miserable!
She called our house multiple times daily for 18 months, leaving creepy voice messages. She'd sit in her car watching our family walk to our car after church. She even accessed our church directory to send letters with false accusations about my dad, trying to destroy my parents' marriage. Because of her, I told a youth leader it would be "a cold day in hell when I became a pastor."
By the way, this woman's name happened to be Joy!
For 15-20 years, I let the trauma of those 18 months rob me of joy. I didn't study joy or preach about joy until my mid-30s. I missed out on the joy Jesus gave me.
Have you had an experience where joy felt out of reach? Is there someone who brought trauma and pain into your life? Have you struggled to access joy because of what someone did to you or took from you?
If that's your story, you must spend some time with a song I've been playing on repeat. Josiah Queen recently released his new single, "Can't Steal My Joy," featuring Brandon Lake. Both artists have described the song as a "joy bomb."
In announcing the song, Queen stated, "This song came from the idea that our joy isn't dependent on the situations we face in our lives. It says in the Bible 'the joy of the Lord is our strength.' All of my life, the enemy has tried to rob me of my joy, but he can't have something he never gave me."
That final line caught my attention, in light of my experience with the stalker named Joy. Satan did not give us joy - it came as a gift from God. Yet, many of us feel our circumstances or enemy attacks have robbed us of joy. We look back at a past event and see joy before the event, and no joy since the event.
Within the chorus, Queen offers an alternative perspective:
"Can't steal my joy
What the world couldn't give no it can't take away
Sorrow may come but it can't… steal my joy
Can't steal my joy"
While the song has a bright vibe, "Can't Steal My Joy" draws on deep roots. For those who once attended Sunday School, memories of singing "I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart" will come flooding back during the bridge.
Most importantly, Queen's perspective echoes Scripture.
In Psalm 16, David looks ahead to the Messiah: "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever."
In Psalm 30:5, David declares: "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning."
In Nehemiah 8, as the people repented upon discovering how far they'd strayed from God's law, Nehemiah reminded them: "Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"
According to these passages, three things are true. First, joy is found in the presence of God, not in easy circumstances. Second, joy eventually comes if we wait. Third, our strength is not in our gifts or wealth, but in the Lord and His power.
Because these things are true, nothing can steal our joy. While our feelings may say otherwise, God invites us to follow Him and not our feelings. "Can't Steal My Joy" is a fun song; for some, it may become a defiant anthem.
Whether you're dealing with a problematic person, grieving a loss, or facing an overwhelming circumstance without a visible solution, I hope you'll allow Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake to stir your faith with "Can't Steal My Joy." Don't surrender what God has entrusted you when you need it the most!
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s popular devotional about joy today.
