As Christians, one of the many blessings we have available to us is a very special kind of joy – a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. A joy so great, so glorious, that it is impossible to truly express with words!

There is a difference between joy and happiness; happiness depends on what is happening around us!  When things are going great, we are happy but when things are going poorly, we are unhappy! Real joy, on the other hand, comes from God and springs forth from within despite the circumstances around us.

The apostle Paul urges us to "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"    (Philippians 4:4). Rejoicing in the Lord is easy when things go our way but does God really want us to rejoice when we have disappointments in our lives? When people turn against us? When we lose a loved one? When we have financial troubles? How could Paul tell us to rejoice always when we aren't always feeling like we have something to celebrate?

Paul wrote these encouraging words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, from a cold, dark prison. He was facing possible execution after being incarcerated for well over two years.  From the outside looking in, Paul didn't have a good reason to celebrate, yet he rejoiced in the Lord through it all.

Like Paul, we can rejoice in the Lord even in hardship because God is always with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. We can have unspeakable joy in Him, not necessarily our situations, because He is. Living in a state of joy has to become a habit. We can rejoice in the Lord who never changes, who forgives, who heals, who abides in us always...in the midst of it all.