J O Y

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob. Interlude” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84:5-8‬ NLT

The purest joy comes from a relationship with God. Sure, we may experience temporary moments of joy as we sojourn through this fallen world, but true and lasting joy is found only in God. “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16:11‬ ‭NASB‬‬ Joy is often misunderstood as happiness. This is incorrect. Joy is a deep, inward, satisfaction that is unrelated to circumstance. Happiness is  connected to circumstance. When we have plenty of money to pay the bills, we are "happy". When we don't, we aren't. When our health is good, we are happy. When our health is bad, we aren't. When a marriage is good, we are happy. When a marriage is full of turmoil, we aren't. I think you get the point. Happiness has to do with things that "happen". Joy is not dependent upon circumstance. In fact, let me paint a scenario for you. Let's say that you have a good job, a solid marriage, and healthy children, yet something is missing in your soul. You are happy but you long to know the joy that gives you satisfaction and assurance. This is where joy comes in. Regardless of the circumstances, joy is present when Jesus is Lord of your life. Your job can be uncertain and insufficient, your marriage can be rocky, and your children can be struggling with things, yet joy can steady and settle you in the midst of the circumstances. True satisfaction (joy) is directly connected to Jesus Christ, our Creator and Lord! Life will never be on an even keel until we know Him.  A keel is that part of a boat that stabilizes it. Jesus is our keel! In the waters of life, when the storms are raging and the waters are tossing, Jesus is the joy that anchors us and allows us to weather the storm. In Him, we can have joy unspeakable, inexpressible. “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Jesus came to restore the relationship with God that had been lost because of man's sin. “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” ‭‭John‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The life we long for is not one of monetary or material things, it is in Christ. As we walk in the Kingdom of God we experience joy. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:17‬ ‭NLT In Galatians 5:22 we read that one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. As we know Jesus and have His Spirit within us, we know the fruit of joy because it flows through the vine. Jesus Christ is the vine. We are the branches (see John 15:1-7).
Someone has said it like this:
J - Jesus
O - Others
Y - Yourself
(in that order)
If you aren't "happy" about life, surrender your will to God in Christ. There you will find joy's deepest tie. There you will find the satisfaction and the peace that passes understanding. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬