Joy That Comes From Within

The woman in Proverbs 31 "shall rejoice in time to come" — there is joy in her, and joy is one of the most beautiful (and healing) marks of a woman of faith. I'm not talking about pretending everything is fine, or a forced smile stretched over pain. I'm talking about the deep joy of someone who knows she is in God's hands even when life gets hard — a joy that doesn't depend on circumstances, but on the certainty that we are loved. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." That joy heals the home, is contagious to the children, and eases the load of everyone who lives alongside you. And it isn't born of the effort to look happy; it's born of God's presence within you, a wellspring of "everlasting joy." On hard days, look for that joy in Him, not in your circumstances. Today, let a little lightness in. Smile, play, give thanks. The woman who carries God's joy carries medicine for the weary world around her.