Joy in the Lord.

Finding joy in the Lord is a central theme of the Christian life—a deep, resilient gladness that is not dependent on circumstances but rooted in the unchanging character and salvation of God.

Here is a poetic reflection on this profound source of strength.

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Joy in the Lord

It is not a fleeting, fragile spark,

That dies with the coming of the dark.

It is not a mask of painted cheer,

That hides the presence of a fear.

It is the anchor, deep and sure,

A pleasure that will long endure.

A fountain springing from the soul,

That makes the broken spirit whole.

This is my joy in the Lord.

My joy is not that skies are blue,

But that my God has proven true.

Not that my path is free from pain,

But that His grace will always reign.

My joy is in the mercy seat,

Where His forgiveness made me meet

To stand before Him,clean, unblamed,

My guilty conscience never shamed.

My joy is in His sovereign hand,

That holds the sea,that holds the land.

And holds my life,through joy and strife,

The Author and the Lord of life.

My joy is in the hope to come,

When He will call me safely home.

When every tear is wiped away,

In the brilliance of eternal day.

So let the world's foundations shake,

Let sorrow come,let my heart break.

This inner well will not run dry,

For You,my Lord, are ever nigh.

You are the source, You are the spring,

The reason that my heart can sing.

My strength,my song, my great reward,

My everlastingjoy in the Lord.

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

— Habakkuk 3:17-18