Joy ..
Joy .. Joy in His Word!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,Galatians 5:22
I’ve got
a memory of being a child singing a song that I could not have sang unless it
was when I went along with my sister to a Sunday School Pic Nic at her friend’s
church when I was 9 years old. The song says “I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down
in my heart… to stay…” it goes on to say I have the love of Jesus in my heart.
Little did I know that sound would be replayed as I lead kids church with my
husband many years later!
I have
the joy of the Lord in my heart because the Joy of the Lord is my strength!
What
exactly is joy? I looked up the meaning because someone said that we should
strive for joy over happiness.
Webster’s
says: a : the emotion evoked by well-being,
success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires :
delight. b : the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety. 2 : a state
of happiness or felicity : bliss. 3 : a source or cause of delight. joy.
The thing
is ‘Joy’ as we know it as Christians is more than just a regular normal emotion
because the joy we know is the joy of the Lord. So then the unexplainable,
undeniable, unbelievable love of God that is deep in our lives, our soul and
our mind, is what produces this joy unspeakable that we read about in God’s
Word.
Joy is
used to show how people felt when God did something amazing, or when they were
present in the anointing of a Prophet of God, and even when they walked into
battle with the ark of God going before them.
Resounding
joy is another type of joy. This type of Joy has been expressed by stringed
instruments and song, We often express this today with tears of joy, or shouts
of praise to our God.
And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their
shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of
the Lord.
Then David spoke to
the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to
be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed
instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.
1
Chronicles 15:15-16
But
let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12
He
is a shield around those of us who ut our trust in the Lord God; but we need to
know that He is there to trust Him. To know He is there we need to spend time
in His presence. How can we do this?
By
prayer, reading the Word, and speaking or singing out praises to Jesus.
When we
spend more time in prayer and praise we will feel His presence and in His
presence is fullness of joy!
You will show me the path of life; In Your
presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
His reproof of David made him write the following
portion of verse that was a reminder of how God’s reprimands are temporary, or
injuries, our sadness over things that happen to or around us is fleeting as is
worldly happiness…this too shall pass.
Weeping may endure for a
night,
But joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5b
Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a
shout of joy. Psalm 31:3
When we live life in a world full of hate and
sorrow it is good to know that joy is but a moment away. If we but put our
trust in the Lord, and hope in Him to bring us through the night to the morning
light we can see, feel and rejoice in the hope of joy in the morning.
Each year it seems that one week in December is
worse than the rest. I find myself in such sorrow for the loss of my father,
and nothing seems to go right until I recall that He is with him. I remember
that I am to live for the moment, live for Christ as I recall the birth of
Christ as written in Luke 2 I can almost hear the angels singing, and speaking
out to give us great joy!
Christ has come to bring us great joy, joy
unspeakable, unbelievable and yet when we choose to accept that He really is
God come to earth to show us the way the Joy in our hearts is one that will
overcome even the deepest sorrows. We just need to lift it up to Him, and focus
on the joy He has brought to us and as for Him to help us through it. Whatever
the reason for your sorrow this season; put your trust in the hands of Jesus
and allow Him to help you through it. He will help you to live the life He gave
you for His purpose but we all have to trust Him to know what He is doing. Have
hope because my God is able! He loves us and wants us to have inexplicable joy!
Be blessed today!
Accept the joy!
Dear Heavenly Father, help those who are
sorrowful at this time of year to feel your joy in their hearts. Allow our
hearts to overload with such unimaginable joy that it overcomes even the
deepest depression and heals the hearts and minds of all those around. In Jesus
name, amen.
Suggested reading, Psalm 30:1-12, Psalm31:1-24, Psalm32:1-11,
Psalm33:1-22, Psalm 34:1-22 and Luke 2:1-20.