Joy cannot be pursued. It comes from within. It is a state of being. It does not depend on circumstances, but triumphs over circumstances. It produces a gentleness of spirit and a magnetic personality.

We have to be tuned to God. We will never be free from discouragement and despondency until we know and walk with the very fountainhead of joy.

Pleasures are the things that appeal to our flesh and to our lust. But joy is something else. Joy runs deep.

The ability to rejoice in any situation is a sign of spiritual maturity.

Without dark clouds in our lives we would never know the joy of sunshine. We can become callous and unteachable if we do not learn from pain.

Only the forward-looking Christian remains sincerely optimistic and joyful, knowing that Christ will win in the end.

Without Him our daily routine would become tiresome and tedious, a drudgery rather than a joy.

I have found in my travels that those who keep heaven in view remain serene and cheerful in the darkest day. Forward-looking Christians remain optimistic and joyful, knowing that Christ someday will rule.

This “I” was made in the image of God for fellowship with God. Without God it is miserable, empty, confused, and frustrated. Without God life has no meaning; but with God at its center there is life, an inner strength and peace, a deep satisfaction, an unfading joy known only to those who know Jesus Christ.