Joy Deep in My Heart

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Posted by: Leah Gartner, Director of Marketing and Events | Monday, December 15th, 2025 (12:00am)

Fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people, for born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.—Luke 2:10

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart!” Did you ever sing that song as a kid? I sure did, and I remember signing it with very loud enthusiasm. I loved it, because not only did I get to sing it, but I also got to shout “WHERE?! Down in my heart to stay!” As a kid you take any opportunity to shout in church. Such a simple, fun little song, but those two phrases sure do say a lot. I have joy deep down in my heart, and it’s going to stay there.  

Wow, how does joy get so deep in the fiber of my heart that it becomes unmovable? 

That feels like a pretty big question for a kids’ song.  

I’ll be honest in my own story as a kid finding joy wasn’t that hard. I always had clothes to wear and plenty of food to eat. If I fell down and scraped my knee, my parents picked me up and cured it with a Band-Aid and a hug. If I had a bad dream at night my dad would come into my room and talk me through it and remind me that I wasn’t alone. We had dinners around the table and talked about everything and anything.  

On a very simple level, I knew that my parents loved me. I knew them, I knew their character, and their loving care proved to me that in them I was secure. So, if I did get hurt or had a disappointment, I knew I had someone to help me get back up again. I knew everything would be be ok.   

Now as an adult I realize that my parents were not perfect. I am sure there were plenty of times they let me down, just like there have been plenty of times I have let my own kids down. But always having someone to lean on gave me a deep, internal sense of well-being even when life wasn't always the way I wanted it to be. Joy is the steady feeling of contentment through both the highs of extreme happiness and the lows of sadness and despair.  

God used other people (in this case my parents) to create a good foundation for joy. You may have a totally different story where your parents offered you the exact opposite of security, but instead you found it through a teacher, a pastor, a counselor, or a trusted friend. Someone God used in your life to help outline a picture of what true joy is supposed to look like.  

But who ultimately fills in that picture of joy to make it complete? Jesus. He is the only lasting source of joy. Through his sacrifice, he made a way to bring me back into relationship with my perfect Heavenly Father, God. The God who created me, who knows me inside and out, who planned and understands the purpose for my life. The God who showed Himself over and over again through parted waters, in closing lions' mouths, by providing food in the desert. The God who made a shepherd boy brave, caused walls to fall without weapons, and who forgave His people when they failed and ran the other way. His Word alone shows me His character; that He is strong, loving, and trustworthy; a place where contentment can thrive.  

However, I don’t have to just read about biblical trials and tribulations to understand who God is. I’ve experienced Him in my own life. In times of great heartbreak and sorrow, betrayal and loneliness. In times when people I trusted and loved rejected me or used me and left me alone. But because I knew God was with me, I knew I was never alone. I could bring to Him my hurt and He would fill the emptiness. Even as I walked through cancer, I knew that through Jesus I would be healed even if that meant in heaven. God has given me a foundation of security in Him. A center of well-being and contentment that can never be shaken...an ever-present source of JOY! 

At the end of the day, I’ve always had the answer to where I can find joy in my heart. We all do. And it’s in Jesus. Only he can provide true joy. A joy that no one can take away. A joy that is so deep in the fiber of our hearts that it’s here to stay, now and always.  

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