Joy

Tis’ the Season! It’s that time of year again; Christmas decorations lining the aisles in every store, and lights twinkling day and night. The smell of pumpkin spice, and cookies baking in the oven. Christmas songs everywhere you go, and the hustle and bustle of shoppers excited to buy gifts. It all has a way of changing the whole atmosphere, and your mood. One of the things that God has blessed me with that has changed the whole atmosphere of my life, is joy. A joy that does not fade away like Christmas time, nor can it be taken away by circumstances. *

Anyone who has ever suffered from depression knows that no matter what wonderful things happen in their lives, depression has a way of looming over them like a dark cloud. It weighs you down, envelopes you, and squelches anything good you are feeling. But the joy of the Lord is the complete opposite! God healed me and delivered me from depression and replaced it with joy. Not just happiness, or gladness that is temporal, but a deep everlasting joy in my soul. I have found that through the trials and storms of life, somehow there is still this joy in my heart. It’s like a cascading light that breaks through the darkest of times, and flows through me, flooding out the pain and sorrow.

There are no gifts more beautiful than the gifts of God. From the gift of Himself as He came to this earth as a man, a servant, our savior, Jesus Christ. * To the gift of His Spirit, as He departed back to Heaven, the comforter, the promise, the Holy Ghost, God Himself in our hearts. * Come unto Him and He will give you rest from your burdens, help when you are fearful, and strength when you are weary. *  

*  John 15:11

*  Luke 2:9-14

* John 15: 26

* Acts 2:38-39

* Matthew 11:28

* Isaiah 41: 13

* Isaiah 40:29