Joy. Pure unadulterated joy.
How do we get it? Does it come from our friends' approval or getting the summer job you poured countless hours applying for?
No. Joy goes so much deeper, to the core of the soul. Joy and happiness are often confused for their similar qualities, but they are certainly not the same thing. If happiness is the tip of the iceberg, then joy is the whole entire iceberg. Happiness comes from circumstances, but joy comes from God.
Have you experienced such joy despite your circumstance that your heart leaped within you and nothing anyone told you could dampen your spirit? I have, in fact I experienced great joy yesterday. It is not that I do not experience joy every day, but I felt it at a deeper level yesterday. Although I was tired and struggling through homework, God gave me a joy that I could not explain apart from Him. I felt so blessed and encouraged.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! -Galatians 5:22-23
Have you experienced God-given joy? It's such an amazing experience that goes far beyond mere feelings.
To me, joy comes from my little precious creatures.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see my pup's creamy chocolate eyes, I just have to :).
It also comes from my Glorious Creator. (Who created them!)
Blessings, Madi
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