When I was young I heard a man explaining the difference between happiness and joy; not that I was aware that there was a difference. Happiness he said was a response to the good 'happenings' in your life whereas joy was a deeper thing that did not depend on your circumstances being good.
What about you? Is it only when the 'happenings' in your life are good that you are happy or do you have joy no matter the circumstances. Now do not get me wrong we are not saying that we should be on a high all the time, or running about constantly laughing but I have met folks who had an inner peace, a contentment, a joy even when times were tough. The Bible says 'godliness with contentment is great gain'(1 Timothy 6.6).
There is an old prophet in the Bible (Habbakuk) and as he faced the downfall and distress of his people (Israel) he said these words 'athough the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; and the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD is my strength'. What a viewpoint! Everything goes bust, your world falls apart - yet you have something that outlasts it all - salvation. Have you got it? The word of God says you can - 'through faith in Christ Jesus'.
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