During Christmastime, we often hear the word, "Joy," and we sometimes feel guilty if we cannot muster up enough joy during the season. However, joy that is a result of good circumstances is fleeting; when circumstances change, your joy is gone. The joy of Mount Zion isn't about this kind of fleeting joy. True and lasting joy is not shaped by our circumstances; it shapes our circumstances. Rather than a response to a good set of circumstances, joy is a choice and a heart posture. It is what allows us to face the current circumstances—no matter how challenging they may be—with endurance and hope. God calls us to choose joy because the joy of Mount Zion is a resource we can draw from in times of struggle and sorrow. Just as Jesus set his eyes on the joy that was set before him and was able to endure the cross, we, too, can set our eyes on the coming of Jesus and face the circumstances of our lives with unwavering joy.