Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

— Philippians 4:4

Sadness is the daily portion of many people. The world is full of suffering and hardship, and it can be difficult to find peace and happiness. As a result, people can become bitter about the adversity and struggles in their lives, and many blame God for their hardship and sorrow.

The apostle Paul, however, had a different message to share. Though he was in prison and had gone through many hardships, he knew he could find joy in the Lord, his Creator and Savior. He wrote to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Joy in the Lord is not a trivial or fleeting emotion. Instead it results from the deepest possible peace of knowing that your destiny is secure in God’s hands. As a result, a person can have deep and lasting joy in the Lord even in the midst of great suffering and pain.

Life is not an amusement park. We face struggles and cross dark valleys. But our happiness is not a superficial, fleeting emotion. Our joy does not depend on the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

As Paul puts it, our joy is in the Lord. In other words, Jesus is the source of our joy. He is the content of our happiness. Our happiness is not just in the absence of bad things or in the presence of good things. Our happiness is in Jesus, knowing that he loves and cares for us and is with us always—forever!

Lord and God, help me to have joy in you, knowing that I am secure in you always. In your saving name, Amen.