“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalms30:5.

“Don’t worry be happy,” was a catch all phrase some time ago; I surmise that it meant, regardless to your life circumstances, just be happy in it all. Well, that is unrealistic. Happiness is an elevated good feeling or positive mental state…but unfortunately; our emotions are varied, they go, and come according to what is occurring in our lives at the time; you can be happy one moment and extremely sad the next.

The born-again believer has something far greater that sustains and keeps us during all of life circumstances. The gift of Joy is not predicated on our feelings, or mental state. Joy comes from the fruit developed in us by the Holy Spirit and is based on our relationship with Christ our Savior; and I do not know about you, but I am so glad about the fact that our relationship is secured forever! “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:29. As the old folks would sing… “This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me, and the world can’t take it away!”

The Apostle Paul was a prime example of God’s joy sustaining him in the toughest of circumstances. The entire book of Philippians and many of his epistles were written from a prison cell. Only by the amazing grace of God and His sustaining power could he write these words from the walls of a dungeon in all types of unfavorable conditions, realizing that death could be imminent “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4.

My friends, it is the faithful promises and sovereign power of God that guides us safely through this life. He lives within us, teaching, comforting, guiding, protecting, and giving us the victory; He is far greater than anything in this world. We can face every tomorrow because of His lovingkindness and renewed mercy towards us each day. “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalms 30:5.

God’s great joy provides a peace deep down in our souls that surpasses all understanding…He picks us up out of the miry clay and reminds us that we belong to Him and nothing, absolutely nothing will ever severe that bond. Romans 8:35-39 state: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let God’s great joy fill your heart today and always…Kirk Franklin choir sings a song called Joy, the first stanza goes:

Joy, joy

God’s great joy

Joy, joy

Down in my soul

Sweet, beautiful, soul saving joy

Ohhhhh joy in my soul

God blessings and unconditional love be with us all…remember this joy that we have the world can’t take it away!