Joy

I woke up this morning (way too early) thinking about joy. In spite of the doom and gloom in our world today, in spite of the physical struggles, the financial turmoil, and the upside down times we are living in, joy should fill our hearts! Sound crazy?

In Isaiah 40:31 God promises that if we wait on Him, He will provide strength and endurance.
In John 10:10 Jesus tells us that He came to give us life to max.
In Philippians 4:4 Paul tells us to always be joyful in the Lord and to rejoice always.
In James 1:2 James tells us to that trouble is an opportunity for Joy

I believe that there is a difference between joy and happiness. To me, joy is a heart condition and happiness is an emotion. I can have a joyful spirit as I cry in pain. I can be joyful in the midst of crisis. Happiness comes and goes, but joy is much deeper and lasts forever. I will choose joy over happiness because true joy comes from my relationship with our God who loves me and cares for me. He has a plan, even in crisis, and His plan is always best for me even when it doesn't seem like it at the time.

I think that's the key to the series we are doing right now. The answer to uncertainty is finding joy in Christ. You can be happy for a time without Him, but you will have joy forever with Him. Do you choose happiness or joy?