Inward Joy > Happiness

Happy Tuesday everybody! I hope you're all having a great week. Today I want to share with you what I've learned thus far while reading the book of Psalm. Have you ever known people who just seem happy all the time?!? I'm talking about even when they're going through, they still possess a JOY that is immeasurable! Well did you know that we all can have that same JOY?! Notice I said we all can have that same JOY, not we all can have that same happiness. See JOY and happiness are two different things, and I got a better understanding of the two while reading the 4th chapter in Psalm. In verse 7 David writes, "You have given me greater joy, than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine." After reading this verse, I sat for a while and thought about what exactly that verse means. For the 1st time ever, I realized that there is difference between JOY and happiness which is shown in this verse as the two are contrasted. You see inward joy comes from knowing and trusting God. Happiness on the other hand is temporary and comes as a result of pleasant circumstances which in this case were the abundant harvests of grain and wine.
Think for a minute about things that make you happy.....For me it's things like a nice shopping spree, or trying out a new recipe that turns out to be really good, oh and finding a $10 bill at the bottom of my purse!! While all those things make me happy, I'm reminded after reading Psalm 4:7, that feeling of happiness is not only temporary but unpredictable. JOY on the other hand is steady as long as we trust God; JOY is a delight that runs deeper than pain or pleasure; JOY brings us peace in the middle of the storm. So I challenge you today, to take on a new attitude towards life. No matter what you're going through, whether you're having a great week or a not so great week think about the JOY that God gives us through the holy spirit and use that joy to smile throughout the day. Remember happiness is an emotion and temporary..but Joy is an attitude of the heart:)

***John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."***


Have a great week!

Oh and like last week, I want to leave you with another song! This one is a classic, and one of my favs which happens to fit in well with today's devotion: Joyful, Joyful from Sister Act 2:)