Joy

 I'm going to be talking about joy that goes far beyond a smile. A smile is outward. Joy is inward. A smile at its best can last a few hours. Joy is eternal. As a matter of fact, do you know what the shortest verse in the Bible is?  It is " Jesus wept".  John 11:35  Well, there is another verse with only two words: 1 Thessalonians 5: 16, which says, "Rejoice evermore".  Not 10 hours or two days. Rejoice, and again I say Rejoice. I'm going to remind MYSELF that joy is an inside job.  Because we live in a generation that's seeking happiness, that is "Don't worry, Be happy". Everybody thinks that's good advice. That's terrible advice , you're not going to be happy all of the time. You'd get tired of being happy all of time even if you could be happy all of the time. What's the difference between happiness and joy? Happiness depends upon what happens. And therefore we call happiness. If you're circumstances are  good, you're happy. If your  circumstances are  bad, you're unhappy. But if you put your trust in happiness, then you're going to be a victim of circumstances, because your happenstance will change.  God never changes. The Bible doesn't tell us to rejoice in circumstances. The Bible says, Rejoice in the Lord. And therefore, since He never changes, He says, Rejoice evermore. Now, happiness is like  makeup, Joy is like character. Happiness  comes from outside conditions. Joy comes from within, it meets your deepest needs. Happiness is like a thermometer. It registers conditions. Joy is like a thermostat. It regulates conditions. Now, happiness many times evaporates and disappears in times of suffering. Once again I have allowed my circumstances to override my faith in God. I'm glad to say back on track and I am busting out a couple of my favorite examples of joy in my life.

Sorry. Garen
Much Love, Dennis