THE ULTIMATE JOY By Melanie Schurr

"Joy is not in things; it is in us." -Benjamin Franklin

What is joy but a gladness of heart!

True joy cannot be found in material items or circumstances that may cause a transient smile, such as being on a wonderful vacation or winning the lottery. True joy is internal, not derived from external forces.

How can this be? What great power or force could touch an individual so profoundly that it could replace sadness and discontent with joy and peace?

The answer is God.

You see, true joy comes directly from the hand of God because He alone, is Love in its purest form and in genuine love there is joy.

Think for a moment of when you were a child. You lay cradled in your mother's arms, warm, soft, cared for, well loved, and fully nurtured. In her arms, you were safe from all external forces. Close to her breast was your home.

In like manner, our heavenly Father has this special gift to offer those who call on Him in love and sincerity. His Son's victory over death allows us the most profound joy because even though, in our earthy forms, we may face sickness, hardships, even death, nothing can pull us away from His arms or from the salvation He has promised us!

You have not known true joy until you have experienced the heartfelt touch of God! Call on Him today.