How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands. Psalm 112:1
Happiness is a fleeting emotion that is based on our circumstances, while joyfulness is much deeper and comes from the assurance of knowing that God loves us. For example, I upgraded my iPhone 5 and purchased the iPhone 6 with iOS8; I was very happy about that. Now I am that I am having to learn some of the basics on the the new OS, my initial happiness has decreased ever so slightly.
We need to remember that there is no passage of scripture where we are promised happiness in God’s Word. However, God promises us something far greater-joy. If you trust Him, and you know that the God of the universe loves you, and wants to have a relationship with you, and He has promised an eternal future for you, then you can be joyful too.
This kind of joy is not temporary and fleeting and runs much deeper than happiness, because it’s not based on your circumstances. How is your life characterized? Is it by joy or happiness?
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