Part Two

How can we find joy in the midst of a dreary, troublesome, difficult world? On those days when nothing seems to go right, when the car breaks down, and the rain won’t stop, and the kids are driving you crazy.

God’s joy is different that the world’s joy. God’s joy is a deep-seated sense of peace and confidence that comes from believing that God is in control, that He loves me, and that He is working for my good even if I can’t feel it. Rom. 8:28

Yet the busier we get, the more we have, the faster we go, the less we find peace and joy. Paul wrote to the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I have a close friend who recently went through an extremely difficult divorce. She found herself sitting alone by a river with her world shattered beyond repair. Tears are coursed her cheeks, and she could see no help, no resolution, no hope.

And yet she had joy at the end of the day as the deep peace of God flooded her soul and the assurance that He is in control gave her hope and comfort.