Joy in God's Hands

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"You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done." Psalm 92:4 New Living Translation

I can't stop smiling when I see this picture of my grandson, Eli. It was taken at his birthday party. It was a beautiful July day in Loveland, Colorado. He swung his new golf clubs, cast his new fishing line, and enjoyed his candle adorned cupcake.

What fills your life with joy?

That is a hard question for me to answer.  I've recently purchase a new lens for my camera.  I did my research and found a lens that fits my budget and gives me a focal length that I didn't have among my other lenses, but does it give me joy?

I'm happy, but the lens doesn't cause joy to swell in my heart.

There is this illusion that joy is the same thing as happiness, and therefore we can produce joy when we strive to be happy.

Yet, as I written before, the two words have different meanings. I am happy when things go well in my life and sad when they don't. Joy, on the other hand, doesn't depend on my circumstances. In the Greek language both joy and grace come from the same root. Joy is connect to grace. Grace is connected to Joy.

Joy is in God's hands. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End of joy. Joy is ours when we celebrate birthdays and when we gather at cemeteries. Joy comes a God who loves us so much that would not hold back his Son from a cross. His deepest grief is our source of joy.

It's okay to be happy, to smile, to laugh, and better yet is to be filled with joy.

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You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2015 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.