You have probably heard or said some of these statements yourself:  “As soon as I lose 10 pounds then I will feel good.”  Or “As soon as I finish my education then things will go well.”  Or “As soon as I get married then I will live happily ever after.”  Parents with children may hear this, “As soon as I get this toy I will never want anything else again, I promise.”  We realize however, as soon as we achieve the object of our desires something else comes along and we find that happiness is fleeting.

 Habakkuk outlined the tragic situation of Israel in his letter near the end of his brief letter, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, and though the yield of the olive should fail, and fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exalt in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”  Despite the challenges he faced, his faith in God remained strong.  Habakkuk realized that joy did not depend on outward circumstances.  Happiness is available only to those whose outward circumstances are going well; whereas joy is available to everyone.  We find that joy is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

  William Saphire’s wrote in the New York Times, “This cacophony of whaling is amplified by the megaphone of the media.  There is no conspiracy involved in this; simply put, bad news means good ratings and good news means a vast, happy tuning-out.  Moreover the mild recession has touched the coastal media centers as never before, with layoffs hitting networks, newspapers and news magazines.  Anyone hearing or reading their laments would never know that far more people have steady jobs than during the recession a decade ago.  As a result, to be joyful is seen as frivolous and to be gloomy is to be serious.  That’s why our leaders are unwilling to appear confident; they fear the appearance of lacking compassion or being out of touch with the fashionable upside-down perception of reality.”

 When can you experience God’s joy?  Right now!  Regardless of your circumstances you can have joy!  You may say, “You don’t know the problems I have.”  That’s right.  I don’t know the problems you have, but God knows what you are going through.  If joy seems elusive go to Him in prayer.  John 16:24 states “Until now you have asked for nothing in my name, ask and you will receive that your joy may be made full.”  This is a present tense verb.  He wants you to go on asking so He can go on giving.  Jesus desires that you have His joy.  He is waiting to give you His so joy that your joy may be made full.  Are you asking?