The world's definition for joy is "a feeling of great pleasure, happiness, and sharing tears of joy." The biblical definition of joy says that joy is "a feeling of good pleasure and happiness" that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who you are or what may be happening around you. In other words, "joy" is a learned behavior that rests in the Holy Spirit of God. What happens is you find yourself abiding in God's presence rather than the situations or circumstances of life.
Yet, the joy of the Lord has an in depth and greater meaning that is experienced over and over again on this level. As a little girl, I recall hearing my Grandmother Nellie saying; "this joy I have the world didn't give it to me, so the world can't take it away." She would be stirring around in the kitchen every morning preparing girts, eggs, and sausages for my siblings, cousins, and me. I heard her shouting about the joy of the Lord, time and time again. Yet, I didn't have a clue what she was sharing in those words.
As my life progressed and experiences came, it became so clear of my grandmother's message to me. Equally so, a tragic heart broke in life taught the full impact of that message. With my face dredged in tears, I heard while praying one morning: "Count It all Joy." My reply was; "who said that?" The hurt, emptiness, and despair in my heart did not, could not connect with the message I heard. My husband and father of my two children of thirteen years was killed in the bombing "Bierut, Lebanon. What is there to "count it all Joy" about right now! Who was trying to play a grueling trick with my mind? I heard the saying several more times. I know this quote was in the Bible, so I took a look at the scripture:
James 1:2 declares "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. (NKJ) I read the verse over many times. Nothing grand happened right away, but over time, my sad countenance changed to a little glare of light shining through me. My husband's death wasn't the Joy, but how the Heavenly Father was going to keep me and my children in His perfect care was the Joy, I would come to know.
I began to jot down scriptures in a composition pad. Then I began to write poems to express my feelings of loneliness, despair, and how I was going to get through the difficult days ahead for my and my children's lives. After reading a morning devotional, sure enough, daily journaling eased my discontent.
Today, my daily declaration is: "Count It All Joy!"
