A young girl, upon hearing her mother read from the Bible, "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation," exclaimed, "Mother, that means joy is the dipper." How true it is that only as one expresses joy and gratitude can he "draw water out of the wells of salvation"—liberate himself from the bondage and results of sin, sickness, disease, fear, lack, and limitation!
Joy is not shallow optimism, crying, "Peace, peace; when there is no peace." Joy is a quality of God, divine Love. It is God's gift to man. Through the understanding of spiritual facts false suggestions of inability, fear, inexperience, frustration, and discord are destroyed. Joy, based upon the spiritual understanding of God as infinite, omnipotent good, is always productive of harmony and successful accomplishment.
But, someone may say, it is very easy to be joyous and happy when one is not experiencing pain, lack, unemployment, and so forth. But what is one to do when faced with unemployment, debts, sickness, friendlessness, lack, and the like? How can one be joyous under such circumstances? May it not be said that such discordant conditions, with consequent lack of joy, are largely the result of ignorance of God's infinite bounty of good for each and every one of His children? Must not the understanding of Love first be gained if one is to overcome an unhappy situation? When it is understood that God alone created all that is true and real, and pronounced His creation "very good," spiritual joy may then be experienced in the midst of the seeming sense of discord. Jesus admonished, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Mortals are inclined to center their efforts upon seeking the "added" things first, believing that there must be an accumulation of material things before joy can be experienced.
