Joy in suffering

In my quiet time, I started reading in 1 Thessalonians. I came across this verse and it really stuck out!1 Thessalonians 1:6-"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." And so I was like WOW! look at these people they welcomed the message, they took up their cross to follow Christ admist severe suffering! And they did it with JOY!!!! Then I turned to James 1:2-"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds," Consider it what? Pure Joy!!!!! So what is joy then and where does it come from? Well, joy isn't an emotion, cause if it was than it would change according to circumstances! Joy is something that the Holy Spirit fills us with. We find Joy in Christ!!! Psalm 43:4-"Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp,O God, my God." David, the Psalmist, calls God our Joy!!! Philippians 4:4-"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" In Christ we find joy!!! Elizabeth George in her book,"A young Woman's Walk with God" gives a really neat example of joy. A diamond. When a diamond is put up against a black background it shines so much more beautifully!! Whereas putting it up against a white background, kinda dulls it. And how true is that about joy?! It is when we [the diamond] are put through the toughest trials [black background] that our joy in the Lord truly shines!!! 2 Timothy 3:12-"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," If we are truly follwers of Christ then we will suffer!! But when we do may we rest in Christ, may we look to Him for our joy and comfort and not to the things of this world!!! Let us be like the Thessalonians who in spite of severe suffering welcomed the message with joy!!!!!