the gift of joy

Many people spend a lot of money to find happiness. You may have heard someone say, "Oh, if I could only have this or that, I would be the happiest person in the world!"

In the Bible King David writes - "...In Your presence is fullness of joy;..." (Psalm 16:11). Jesus is the One who gives us joy. So then how come not too many people enjoy it?

Here’s a story to learn from today…

At the end of World War I conditions in Europe were deplorable. Many people were hungry, homeless, and without jobs. Such was the case of this family. Father did not return from the war and the family struggled to stay alive.

The brave widow one day heard about America, and she determined that she and her three children would someday go there. The family worked together to earn enough money for one ticket. It took a while, but finally the oldest son was on his way. Two years later the younger brother and his sister left for America.

Mother was left alone. One day a large envelope arrived from America, and almost overwhelmed the mother tore it open. There was the longed for ticket!

The day of departure came--what a happy and expectant mother! She looked forward to the reunion with her children. She realized, of course, that the trip to America would take a few more days, and she wondered how she would be able to pay for her meals. She had brought along some crackers and ate some each day. The day came when she had only a few crumbs left. She could smell all the wonderful food that was being prepared. Finally, being very hungry, she begged the steward to allow her to help with his cleaning in exchange for food from the kitchen. He checked her ticket and exclaimed, "Madam, you don't have to scrub floors. All your meals are included with your ticket!" ---- Jesus wants to give you the gift of joy – all you have to do is receive Him and receive his promised joy. No matter what is happening in your life presently, He is offering you joy to the fullest. Maybe you don’t have much materially, maybe you lost your possessions in a disaster or failed business, or perhaps you are having problems with your loved ones or your family is breaking up. Or maybe you have lost your job or couldn’t find one. Whatever the circumstance, you can still have the joy of His presence at all times. When you have Jesus, you have everything.