What is joy?

"What would make you happy?", my friend's husband asked her. She thought for a while then answered him. At the top of her list was to have a successful marriage. However, that was not to be. Her husband became mentally ill and very abusive. My friend read every book she could about marriage and followed all the marriage advise given but in the end she had to leave because her life and the lives of her children were in danger.

I had breakfast with my friend yesterday. As I turned down the road she lives on I smiled. I could see her friendly yellow house flowers every where. My friend's faith in God was evidenced by the joy that surrounded her. The tears still flow freely at times but her life is not defined by the pain she has suffered but by the Redeemer in whom she trusts. A colleague recently came to her home for the first time. After looking around she said to my friend," This is just what I expected. Your home is warm and welcoming, just like you!"

After leaving my friend's home I began to ask myself,"What is joy?". As I meditated on this several things came to mind. Galatians 5 says that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. So joy is evidence of the Spirit of God within us. Philippians 4 tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing in the Lord is to have a soul connected to Jesus. A soul that reflects a reliance on God that gives tribute to God's redemptive work.

Joy, true joy does not require the absence of sorrow. My friend and I talked about what it is like to be broken and live in a fallen world. There is nothing fake about my friend's faith. It has been tested in the fires of broken dreams. But what draws me and others to her is her joy. She has taken her sorrows to the foot of the cross and put her faith in Jesus.  Being sure of what she hopes for and confident about what she doesn't see she comes to Him. His light has penetrated her suffering and the evidence is joy. It reminds me of when the Sun shines on a rainy day producing a rainbow.

Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I too want to put my trust in You and be filled with Your Spirit. Lord, let me be so full of Your Spirit that when the world knocks me over joy spills out!