Ingredients of Joy

Psalm 107: ⁴ Some wandered in desert wastelands,
    finding no way to a city where they could settle.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
    and their lives ebbed away.
⁶ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
    to a city where they could settle.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

¹⁰ Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
    prisoners suffering in iron chains,
¹¹ because they rebelled against God’s commands
    and despised the plans of the Most High.
¹² So he subjected them to bitter labor;
    they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them from their distress.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
    and broke away their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
    and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
¹⁶ for he breaks down gates of bronze
    and cuts through bars of iron.

============

Joy is quite different than happiness. I have sought happiness and found it temporarily, but it sometimes led to places that were away from GOD. HE allowed me to be happy, but knew that’s not what I needed.

• GOD wants me to have “joy” because it endures the desert wastelands.
• GOD wants me to have “joy” because it leads me out of darkness.
• GOD wants me to have “joy” because it points me to GOD’s unfailing love.

Joy is hope wrapped in faith coupled with knowledge that GOD knows what HE is doing for you. Joy brings excitement that at the end of the crazy, disastrous, calamitous trouble, my relationship with GOD is strengthened so I will proclaim HIS name to the world!

• Are you in the desert?
• Have you been placed in chains?
• Can you seek joy from GOD versus happiness?
• Will you proclaim HIS name and the wonderful deliverance HE has for you?