Yes – a title for one of C.S. Lewis’s books and a good read, too, but are we surprised when we have lots of joy? I am of the belief that we are meant to have joy continually for “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)  and don’t we need strength all the time?

Joy is so different from being happy, an emotion that fluctuates with circumstances and situations, so how can we get it?  It is considered a fruit of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit (given to us so that we could complete God’s work on earth after Jesus Christ went back to heaven from our planet). We each need to become Christians first and then let the Holy Spirit daily fill us (continually is best!). The Holy Spirit is given to every believer so that his fruit of love e.g. joy can come out of our lives.

We’re encouraged in John’s gospel to ask anything in Jesus’ Name as believers, too – so that our joy can be full as we see his answers. What an invitation and how we need to simply trust God to do what he says.

As we go through difficult and challenging times we can find that the joy of the Lord keeps welling up in us to help us to overcome.  We can smile more when we realise that God is in control (and we use less muscles to smile than to frown so it is well worth going for it!)

God must have been so full of joy when he created our world including all those strange and wonderful creatures some of which the human eye can’t even see except under a microscope. When he made the first humans he must have had a twinkle in his eye knowing that all subsequent human beings would be unique and wonderfully made.  He knew that we would need him to get on with one another and to learn to love as he loves. Thus, he provided the Holy Spirit to give us the means to relate well and  to display his character on Earth .

‘The Creation Series’ of Diamond Books relishes in God’s wonder working joy filled world and shows many diversities and varieties of his creation for little eyes to see and appreciate.  What child isn’t fascinated by little ants rushing around carrying leaves on their back that are more than double their size or counting the spots on a ladybird? Let your 3-4 year olds be blessed with this boxed set of 8 books that will enable them to be in awe of the great God who made all things well.

P.S. When our lives are half-filled with his joy or display no joy at all there is probably a reason for this.  Try getting more sleep or searching one’s heart to see if there is anything in our lives that is displeasing to him who knows us so well.  Then we have more freedom to choose his best and are enabled to receive the power to resist temptation and then to even glimmer with joy!