Joy is the serious business of Heaven. The joy of the Lord is a gladness of heart, sometimes inexplicable, that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. “I will be filled with joy because of You. I will sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:2 NLT

In this series (The Order Of Things; see here, here, and here) we have posited that there is a joy continuum, beginning with gratitude, and followed sequentially by goodness, happiness, and joy. One cannot know joy without first realizing the other elements.

Joy is not the result of circumstances, it is present in all circumstances. Over 2,500 years ago the psalmist declared that we can be filled with joy through knowing and abiding in the Lord. Will you be joyful in the Lord, or settle for the transient, incomplete happiness afforded by the world?

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 NLT