As long as we are here on this earth, trials and storms will always come our way. However, that does not mean that God wants us to suffer in sadness and sorrow for the whole of our lives. In fact, it is not God's intent for us to be sad.

Common belief is that sorrow comes from God and that it is his intent to make us sad sometimes. But I believe that it is never God's intent to bring sorrow upon man. There is not one verse in the Bible that explicitly declares that God brings sorrow to us, but the Bible is so full of scripture of God bringing and restoring our joy.

Jeremiah 31:13 says, "Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow." God is not the bringer of sorrow but rather the bringer of joy once sorrow conquers our hearts.

So if it's not God's will for us to experience sadness, why do we still feel sad at times? Everything has to have a source, and sadness does have a source.

The enemy comes to steal our joy

The author of sorrow is the devil. While God's desire is for us to experience joy and happiness as a result of holiness and reliance upon His will, the enemy wants to replace God's Word with lies that promise satisfaction in things that only give temporary happiness. Note that the enemy never gives us sorrow directly, but blinds us with the promise of joy only to snatch it from us when his schemes have replaced the will of God.

John 10:10 tells us, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." God doesn't want you to be sad. It's the enemy that wants you to be sad by stealing our joy brought by our closeness to God.

God's presence brings joy

True joy comes in nothing else but the presence of God. Sure there are things on this earth that can bring happiness, but riches, relationships and success apart from the grace and goodness of God will never be truly satisfying. To be with God is to experience joy, and to be apart from God is to be prone to sorrow.

Proverbs 10:22 says, "The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it." Our sin is the night that brings sorrow and weeping, but Jesus is the morning that comes to bring joy into our hearts.

It's we who decide whether to respond in sorrow or joy

While God promises pure joy, it is still up to us to receive his promise of joy. We cannot experience God's joy if we choose not to connect and abide in the Father. How do we come to the Father? The Bible tells us that there is only one way and that is through Jesus Christ.

So in times of hardships and trials, the choice is actually ours to approach Christ and be lead into the presence of the Comforter or to remain in the sorrow of our sin. God is sovereign, but He is also loving and desires for us to approach him and his rejoicing on our terms.