On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy. The women and children also celebrated, and Jerusalem’s rejoicing was heard far away. – Nehemiah 12:43
Where do you find your greatest joy?
Is it in the birth of a child? There is certainly much to celebrate in such an event.
Is it in finally achieving a a personal accomplishment pursued for what seemed like ages? There is nothing like hard work that pays off.
Is it in a victory by your favorite baseball, football, or (name your sport) team? Well, I LIKE to win, too, but joy may be too strong a word for it.
God said that our greatest joy should come from Him … that He should be the source of our joy. He also said that very often the pathway … the context within which HIS joy would be experienced would be great personal sacrifice. You see, God’s joy leads us to complete surrender, in turn, this surrender produces an abundance of joy.
Happiness may be found in self-fulfillment, but true joy is in finding your fulfillment in Christ.
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. – Thomas Jefferson
