Joy
A common idea among Christendom is that God wants us to be happy but I don’t see any place in Scripture that indicates that. There is plenty in the Word that talks about joy, however, and true joy does not always stem from happiness. Joy is an attribute that resonates in the heart, stemming from the knowledge that God is with us and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
I’ve said for years that joy is not affected by circumstances, and at times this past year, I’ve had to remind myself of that, but it is true. We may not always like what we go through but God does not lay anything on us that we can’t bear. He reminds us though that His strength is made perfect through our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24). Amen!
I love this, Sony! I truly believe that people who desire nothing more than happiness have never experiences true unabandoned joy.