There are so many reasons to be encouraged. Sure, school may have one too many group projects and work may be tiring, but we can be full of joy nevertheless. Even in truly trying and difficult times, we can still take heart and have joy. Wondering why? Allow me to share with you these precious truths!

1. Joy is constant while happiness is fleeting

Joy is not determined by circumstances. No, I don’t know your circumstances and I don’t want to pretend that it is easy to have joy at all times. I know its not. But the problem comes when we reflect too much on our circumstances and not enough on the constant nature of our Lord. Thank heavens He is bigger than our anxiety, stress, illness, diseases and heartbreak. He is the Almighty God, sovereign, loving, and true. Our joy is founded in Him. Hallelujah!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

One way we can be filled with joy is through relationship with Him. Jesus talks about the importance of abiding in His love. Joy arises from taking part in the relationship that He freely offers. Since God’s love in never-ending, our joy in being His beloved need never end either.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 15:9-11

2. God is Sovereign

God can be trusted. We may not understand how all the pieces of our life fit together. We may not see how our pain and gifts, experiences and circumstances work for our good, but we can trust in a God who does. What a relief! We don’t have to manipulate and scheme to get what we want out of life. God is already working for us and we can trust Him because He is eternally good.

Job endured many trials losing his livelihood, his children, his health, and his friends. Yet even in the midst of his pain, he acknowledged that God’s ways are not our ways. He admits to the sovereignty of God.

"I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”

Job 42:2

God eventually restored Job to a place of prominence with more riches than before and another ten children to claim as his own. It can be hard to see the purpose of events in our life, but we can trust that God knows what he is doing.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

Be encouraged. God is working on our behalf.

3. He is our forever refuge

How beautiful is it that the God of the Universe wants you to run to Him with your needs! He is our shield. He is our hope. Think of all the people you love and how far you would go to protect them. God loves you and me even more than that—even more than we can imagine. God is love. He also wants to be our strength.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 43:2

He promises to be with us through every step of life. In our troubles, He is there. In our pain, He is there. In our heartbreak, He remains our refuge. That is enough to make my heart swell with joy and astonishment in the patient and protective love of the Lord.

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

Those are the words David penned after the Lord delivered him from the hand of Saul and his enemies. Psalm 18 is a beautiful testament to God’s fierce protection of His children. God protected David from his enemies and He is still protecting His children today.

The justice we seek may not always come in our timing. The life we want may not ever come into fruition the way we imagine. Still, we can have reason to rejoice. We can trust in His justice because He is sovereign. We can trust in His plan because He is love and He displays that love in His desire to be our place of safety. Not to mention, Jesus died so that we can have relationship with God.

We have so many reason to be full of joy and all of them are rooted in the nature of God. Our circumstances may make our heart fall, but God remains constant—constantly good and true and trustworthy. He wants us to have joy and He enables us to maintain it by communing with Him. Now that’s pretty cool.