Romans 15:13 NIV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Reading these passages reminds me of the cohesion of hope, joy, and peace. Flickering hope and tenuous peace require sustainable joy to outshine the darkness. Joy is often mistaken for happiness. Happiness is contingent on conditions as variable as the weather. Joy remains a spark among cinders, reigniting best under provocation. Rather than succumbing to the smothering soot of life, stoked Joy, rekindled with hope and peace, blazes amid the storm.