"In Thy presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).
What is joy? Is it always having a smile on your face? Is it laughing, shouting, singing? These are all wonderful products of a joyful heart, but they are arduous to maintain consistently.
Joy is a marvelous gift God gives to those of us who love and obey Him. He fills our hearts with a wonderful sense of His abiding presence, a sweet peace that He is in control, and a blessed assurance that He loves us unconditionally and will always take care of us. That is true joy. It is not based on circumstances, feelings, or relation- ships. It comes from God alone.
Our loving Heavenly Father often bestows upon us moments of great joy that do come through special situations or dear friends in our lives. And we need to praise and thank God for such beautiful gifts! But we must not believe for a moment that joy cannot remain when storms beat upon us and waves of conflict crash around us. It is then, upon the faintest utterance of our request, that our gracious Lord pours out His greatest portion of joy into our waiting hearts. Like rain to a thirsty desert, so is the joy of the Lord. Such joy remains and sustains, even when it rains, because He reigns!
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