Ping.
“In the four chapters of this epistle, I count the word “joy” or “rejoice” a whopping fourteen times, and if you add “glad,” it comes to a total of sixteen! That’s a lot of joy! And why not? For the Christian faith is a thing of joy! What a joy it is to know that your sins are forgiven! What a joy it is to know you have eternal life waiting for you on the other side! This is great stuff! What a joy it is to know that God, your heavenly Father, is watching out for you and taking care of you! It is a joy to know Jesus, your Savior, who even now is interceding for you, who once again today will give you his body and blood for your forgiveness. It’s a joy to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you by your baptism and keeping you in the Christian faith by the means of grace. It’s a joy to be in the fellowship of believers, the church, your brothers and sisters who are here for you in this congregation. All kinds of joy, all around you!”
Amen! :)