Joy

“For us, joy is tied to circumstances, which can be fickle. Therefore, our joy is as ephemeral as is the adrenaline high of good news. In addition, if positive circumstances are the source of joy, how can anyone know such gladness in the face of anxiety, depression, and adversity? If good times are the soil that produces joy, that means a significant portion of our lives is inevitably barren.”— Vine Ripened Life

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Indeed! The joy that God gives is deeper than circumstances. How else could Paul and Silas rejoice in the midst of a Philippian prison? Singing Psalms and hymns with their backs encrusted with blood and their feet in the stocks! They were either crazy or they knew something deeper than circumstances. The jailer changed his mind after the earthquake, didn't he?

What kind of earthquake will it take to change our minds, I wonder...
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