Finding Joy in Midst of Pain

Goodmorning to you on this cold & rainy Monday morning! :) If you're still lagging this morning and can't seem to wake up, then click this link: http://m.godtube.com/watch/?v=F9J99MNU 

(it's not spam, I promise) :) 

Hopefully you're awake now.. If not, then go grab some coffee after reading this.

Have you ever heard someone say that they are going through the toughest time in their life but are still very joyful? I don't know about you but the first time I heard someone say that I was kinda just like "Uh, okay. That makes total sense." For the longest time I never understood how someone could be so joyful and happy when they were facing such difficult times. 

Last summer when I was going through a difficult time myself, I was given the book "A Young Woman's Walk with God" by Elizabeth George. One chapter was about having a happy heart and one of the fruits of spirits being joy. Some of the points were this:

- Joy is important to Jesus 

- Joy is an expression of godliness 

- Joy is experienced anywhere and at anytime. 

Sources of joy:

#1 God Himself is a primary source of your joy. 

#2 God's salvation.

#3 God's promises.

Everything started to make sense. The stories people told me of how they were full of joy even when going through a tough time were clicking. I understand now.

The fact that Jesus died on the cross for all of us who sin when He had never sinned before was something to be joyful about. We are loved more than we even know by Him. If that doesn't make your heart fill all warm and fuzzy then read it again. Jesus died on the cross for US because we are LOVED so much by Him!! 

But why would He die for us besides the fact that He loves us? 

So we could have eternal life in heaven with Him once we've accepted Jesus into our lives. 

John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." 

God promises us eternal life with Him in heaven and all we have to do is accept Him into our hearts and have a relationship with Him. A relationship with God can never break and you can never run to far from God. He will always be there! 

"This is the day The Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalm 118:24 ❤️❤️

Have a blessed week everyone! :)