The Joy of the Lord

Psalm 43
Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

• The Joy of the Lord is an everlating one.
• The Joy of the Lord comes from His altar.
• The Joy of the Lord comes from the House of God.
• The Joy of the Lord belongs to the Lord.

In His presence there is fullness of Joy. When you go and place yourself at His altar, His joy fills you.

Psalm 92:12-15
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The righteousness of the righteous will keep on increasing. It will keep on growing taller. The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. Why a palm tree? A palm tree is tall and and it fruits are on the top of it. The fruits of the righteous are on the top of the tree for the world to see. People may not listen to your words, but they will see your fruits.

Happiness and Joy
There is a significant difference between Joy and Happiness.

Happiness is based on your soul. It is a state of mind. You are happy when you buy a house or have a biriyani or get a hike or a new job. Happiness is temporal. When the time goes on, you come back to the *normal*.

Joy is not based on your circumstances. It is not based on whether something good happens to you, or something bad happens in your life. This kind of joy comes from the Lord (and yes, Lord only). This joy is an eternal one! Daniel and His friends had this joy when they were thrown into the fire.

Run to the Cross and stay there!!!