‘A gloomy Christian is a contradiction in terms’ said William Barclay.

So where does the deep joy that the New Testament writers so regularly

describe come from? It is found not in our circumstances, but in our roots.

We are like trees planted by streams of water, drawing on the life of the

spirit. When trouble comes, our roots go deeper - so that even when we

suffer, we rejoice. This happens only when we give up pursuing happiness

first, and pursue instead Jesus’ righteousness.

When we delight in the law of the Lord (his gospel, his lordship, his care

for us, his rule of life), then we are blessed, then we are intrinsically,

fundamentally happy!

By Ed Flint