A listener named Khalif in Oklahoma writes in Pasadjian, I've listened to you and read your

books for years and has been such an encouragement for me.

You speak a lot about joy, but the matter in which you speak of it, from the pulpit, seems

to communicate more of a desperation for this joy.

I'm not saying you don't lay hold of it, but it seems more like you wake up having

to fight for this joy every single morning rather than just simply being saturated in it.

You know, that is my experience.

I wake up at 5 a.m. every day, so read and pray in my fight for joy.

Can you please explain for me this disconnect of fighting for joy and not simply having

a natural disposition of being a joyful person?

What would you say to Khalif?

Yes, yes.

I've thought so much about this, the answer is yes, I can tell you something about that

disconnect.

Khalif is very discerning.

I would have no problem accepting what he just said about the way I sound.

I have often commented that the name of my book is Desiring God, not having already found

complete constant satisfaction in God.

So he's asking, what's with the disconnect about fighting for joy relentlessly and

not having a simple, steady state, natural, sweet, resting, enjoy as God loves us so much.

What's with that?

The Bible itself very clearly says rejoice always, and again, I say rejoice.

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