There is a verse in the good book (no, not the TV guide) that reads: "Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
One of the things I like about the Bible is that it makes no attempt to gloss over the brokenness that is so often found in the world. Sorrow is an everyday part of life on this side of eternity. It's important to acknowledge that we live in a reality that has been distorted and scarred by our own imperfections and weaknesses. How is a physician to embark on a course of restorative action if there is no admission regarding the existence of the illness in the first place? Authentic joy in this life can only be experienced when we stare heartache in the face, and by the grace of God, overcome it.
In my last post I listed a bunch of quotes on the subject of sorrow. In the interests of balance, not to mention ultimate and enduring truth, here are a few that deal with the subject of joy:
"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11
"The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy." Psalm 65:8
"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls." Mother Teresa
"I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy." C. S. Lewis
"Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures."
Thomas Aquinas
"For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair." Anne Morrow Lindbergh
"Technological society has succeeded in multiplying the opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy." Pope Paul VI
"Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into t produce food, either." Joseph Wood Krutch
"I can say that I never knew what joy was like until I gave up pursuing happiness, or cared to live until I chose to die. For these two discoveries I am beholden to Jesus." Malcolm Muggeridge
"His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
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