Joy vs. Happiness

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10 (emphasis mine) But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; Everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, And sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:9b-10 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even thought you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 Are you happy? Enjoy it. Happiness is fleeting. What makes you happy? Your family? Your job? Your spouse? Your pets? Your possessions? Your health? Fleeting, every single one of the aforementioned possibilities is temporary. We are happy when a project goes well. We are happy when the doc says all is well. We are happy when our spouse does some unexpected kindness. We are happy when the children are pleasant and all is well with them. Great, but what happens when the doc says more tests are needed? What happens when the children bring bad news? How do you feel when the spouse forgets your special day or is not delighted in your accomplishments? What about when the pet dies or the car is totaled? Are you happy then? Of course not! But you can be joyful. Are you joyful? Enjoy it! Joy, if it finds its source in Jesus Christ, is enduring. It will not fade or fail. We can let go of it but it will not depart from us. It will be there always lurking, waiting to be admired and appreciated. The root of the word happiness is hap, as in happenstance. The very root of the word means that it is not enduring. That it is temporary and based on very mercurial things. It isn’t meant to stay. It is meant to grab us, dance us around and then leave. It is insouciant and fun. Who doesn’t want to be happy? There is nothing wrong with happiness except its transitory nature. Happiness lifts us up out of the ordinary into a little dance of delight and then it drops us back into the ordinary or worse. Joy is decidedly different. Joy lifts us up out of the pit of despair. Joy holds us in its tender arms, above our circumstances, closer to the heart of our Master, closer to the thrill of salvation. Joy is not fleeting. Joy is not mercurial or insouciant. It is steady, calm and readily available in the person of Jesus Christ. When the news is bad and happiness has left the building. Give praise to God for the lasting joy He has provided for all of us who put our trust in Him.

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