"And Hannah prayed and said: 'My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.'" 1 Samuel 2:1 (NKJ)

Joy and happiness, the two are not the same. Happiness come and goes. There are things we experience that make us happy, things that cause us to smile and laugh, such as a compliment, a promotion at work, or winning an award. But, we also experience things that make us weep, things that indeed do not make us laugh and smile, such as losing a loved one, being insulted, or being let go from a job. Happiness is temporal; it is exist in certain moments of time only.

Joy on the other hand is eternal, for true joy can come only from our Eternal Lord. Jesus gives us a joy that no one can take from us! This joy is based on our eternal salvation that we find in Christ Himself! Jesus told His disciples to rejoice, for their names were written in Heaven. Our joy is not dependent on the circumstances at hand, it is not dependent on whether we are happy or sad, it depends only on Jesus; and if flourishes in the peace it receives through Him, in both happy and sad times. It was D.L. Moody, the nineteenth century American evangelist that said, "Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition."

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalms 16:11 (NKJ)