There's a great danger of living our lives in a rut!  Consider this example.  In France research has been conducted on what are called "processionary" caterpillars. These little creatures travel in long lines, simply following their leader. They march forward at the same pace, without considering their final destination. In one experiment a group of caterpillars was placed on the rim of a large flowerpot--with the leader of the group nose-to-tail with the last one in the procession. It was a perfect circle, and they kept going around and around.  In the middle of the flowerpot was a great cache of food. Yet the caterpillars kept circling, day after day, night after night. After seven days, one by one, they began dying of starvation.
    We humans also easily fall into the deep rut of daily living.  This is especially so spiritually. It’s been about a month now since we celebrated the Easter resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We quickly moved from shouting out “He is risen!” in the sunrise service to our daily ruts: mowing the now rapidly growing spring grass, planning for graduations and weddings, and planning for summer.
    What has happened to that joy of Easter which we are supposed to experience every day?   That Easter joy has fallen into the rut of our daily living!
    But ongoing joy in living our lives in the presence of the resurrected and living Savior Jesus Christ is God’s intention for all people.  For example, the women who were the first witnesses to the empty tomb experienced great joy when they saw Jesus alive again (Matthew 28:8;  Luke 24:52).  Then the eleven disciples and other believers were filled with joy when the resurrected Jesus came to them (Luke 24:41).  
    For present day believers God gives great joy as we trust in the resurrection of Christ and look forward to His second coming on Judgment Day: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls!”  (1 Peter 1:6-9).
    So, celebrate each day as a little Easter and get out of your rut!