Where does my joy come from?

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
      I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
 I will be filled with joy because of you.
      I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2

I've been missing some things.

Some vital things for life.

My joy and peace have been taken.

Or have I given them away?

My enemies are discontentment, discouragement, anger, fear, anxiety, doubt, depression...

They sneak in so stealthily, looking to steal all that gives color and music to my life.

Amazingly, I seem to so easily surrender to them.

Easily handing over that which is mine.

And so, as I realize that I have been robbed, left wanting, I begin the search to retrieve what has been taken.

Joy and peace do not come from what is around me, from what I see.

That I know for sure.

My enemies retreated;
      they staggered and died when you appeared.
 For you have judged in my favor;
      from your throne you have judged with fairness.
 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
      you have erased their names forever.
 The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;
      the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.
Psalm 9:3-6

Do I choose to sit in the dirt and mire, singing dirges with my enemies?

Do I lift my head and see beyond the daily mess and praise and thank You?

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
      a refuge in times of trouble.
 Those who know your name trust in you,
      for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. 
Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.
      Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
Psalm 9:9-11


No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, 
good to the good-hearted.
   But I nearly missed it,
      missed seeing his goodness.
   I was looking the other way...
Psalm 73:1-2


You're all I want in heaven!
      You're all I want on earth!
   When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
      God is rock-firm and faithful.
   Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
      Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
   But I'm in the very presence of God—
      oh, how refreshing it is!
   I've made Lord God my home.
      God, I'm telling the world what you do! 
Psalm 73:25-28