Presence

1 Thes. 5:16-18 Be joyful always; [17] pray continually; [18] give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

It's hard to be joyful all the time. There is much pain in the world, and even when the pain is absent very often there is the numbness of monotony. Sociologists tell us repeatedly that by every indicator we are becoming more and more unhappy....

So it is hard to be joyful - that is if we equate joy with the absence of pain and the presence of happiness.

Yet the Bible writers tell us that joy is not the absence of pain but the presence of God. To be joyful always is to be continually walking with God, through the good and the bad. Paul advises us not to give up seeking his face, but to continually seek his presence, seek his comfort. Even when things are bleak, to know you are walking with God, in the centre of his will for your life is a comforting place to be - because actually that is when you need it most.