Where is our joy?

Circumstances in life can many times take the wind out of our sails.  They can get us down, they can beat us up, they can wear us out.  People can sadden us with their decisions, people can hurt us with their words, and if we let them, these things can all pile up to derail our joy.

But where does our joy come from?  At times, we can find joy in life's circumstances: the birth of a child, milestones in life, encouraging words from a friend.  While we may find joy in these things, we had better not make these things necessary for us to have joy.  All of these joys also can be reversed: death of a loved one, events we'd rather forget, hurtful words from a friend.

The Bible is clear that our joy comes from God.  He is the source, and when we find joy in who God is, what He has done for us, what He is doing in and through us, and what He will do for us, then nothing will be able to derail our joy.

^"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long;
      we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

- Romans 8:35-39