Joy

John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Again, Jesus talking here about giving us the very joy that He has. His words before and after this are about love and being in the Father's love. Interesting that they are essentially co-existent. When we grasp onto the love of God, the deep joy of Jesus is our blessing. Joy that comes from the Holy Spirit is pure. It needs nothing else. Joy rejoices with those who are happy and cries with those who are sad. Some of my deepest joy was evident through the heart-broken sadness of losing my mom. Through weeping and mourning there was a sense of happiness and wholeness like I had never experienced before. That is the beauty of the blessing of true joy. Jesus' joy is full and complete on the mountaintop and in the valley. We are only able to get this joy through Him, not because we choose joy, but because we choose Jesus. Only in choosing Jesus every time, will we begin to feel the deep satisfaction His joy brings. "You cannot steal our joy."