The Meaning of Joy

Habakkuk 3:17-19
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. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Lately I've been working on sustaining my joy throughout day to day life. It seems that now the crisis of unemployment is over, it's easy to slip back into being disgruntled and upset about the silly details of life, whereas before, because life felt so out-of-control, I knew I had to be in constant communication with the Lord in order to feel joy and peace. Because I had such an overpowering need for Christ to hold me up during that time, it became almost automatic to trade in my troubles for joy, to make that conscious choice each day. Now that life has settled down, I've allowed myself to get drawn back into the meaningless routine of each day, forgetting to turn to him for my daily needs; patience with my children, love for my husband, an overflowing schedule, etc. The verse above is a great reminder that no matter the circumstance, we are called and able to be filled with joy.