When I get settled, have financial security, then I will be happy. When I am healed, then I will have something to be grateful for. When I find a compatible partner, then I won't feel lonely anymore. When I win the lottery... When I have gained a greater spiritual understanding, then I will be at peace. These are examples of vain expectations which lead people to live unsatisfying lives.
"'Now,' cried the apostle, 'is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation,' — meaning, not that now men must prepare for a future-world salvation, or safety, but that now is the time in which to experience that salvation in spirit and in life." (S&H)
Joy, gratitude, peace have the perpetual quality of nowness - cannot be captured and stored for future use. Interestingly, they are beneficial for healing, and they certainly are rewarding in their own right. One might conclude that, if one accepts that God is good and man is His idea, joy, gratitude and peace are man's natural state of being. They come from within and are in no way dependent upon material things.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you." (Jesus) Could it be more plain?