“For his anger is but for a moment and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 ESV)

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3 ESV)

Google defines joy as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.”

I don’t know about you but when I am happy, or joyful, I feel better. I look at the world in a different way. But if I let myself lose my joy, the world is a dark and unhappy place to be.

I told you about my new neighbor awhile back. He can make me lose my joy very quickly. There is just something about him that tries to steal my joy. But I refuse to allow it.

While researching joy, I came across this. (Words in parenthesis are mine):

Joy can:

1. Help you lose weight. (It hasn’t me yet)
2. Lower your stress. (Hmmm)
3. Lower your risk of a heart attack.
4. Improve blood pressure.
5. Boost your immune system.
6. Help you focus. (What was I doing?)
7. Improve your memory. (Where was I going with this?)
8. Cause you to want you to serve others more.
9. Make you more grateful and content. (And last but not least….)
10. Make you feel pretty amazing.

Pretty amazing what joy can do. If you think about it, joy is free. People can give you joy and you can share yours. That article also said about joy, “Seek it daily. Be grateful when it comes easily. Fight for it when it doesn’t.”

Pretty good words to live by if you ask me. I pray you all find joy in everything you do.

Kathy Keller