Shout for Joy

I love the Psalms!  I simply cannot read them without feeling better -- even if I was already feeling great!  But even the Psalms that are cries to the Lord for mercy or refuge end with the assurance that God will hear our cries.  He will answer our cries with a show of grace and mercy that only He is capable of, grace and mercy completely beyond my comprehension.

I tried counting the number of times the word joy appears in the Psalms.  Before I got very far at all, however, I was sidetracked by actually reading the verses in which the word is contained.  They are, for me, irresistible.  I love knowing that God does, in fact, want us to be happy, to be joyful.  Filled with joy.

In spite of the name of my blog -- The Happy Heart -- I do realize life isn't always fun and games.  Sometimes life is hard.  Within about fourteen months' time, I lost both of my parents, my husband lost his job and I made the difficult decision to leave the company I had worked for for five years.  There were other problems, minor illnesses, the day-to-day concerns of being a mom.  There were members of my church family who also lost loved ones, or had hardships; I hurt right along with them.  And I know there are times to be sober and serious.

But at the end of the day, I know that the Lord holds me, and all my loved ones, in His loving hand.  He cares for us, provides for us and loves us.  He blesses us with joyous gifts each and every day.  And one of my favorite passages reminds me, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." (Psalm 30:5b)