Dwell – Day 24
We know it’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 KJV)
We know we we’re told to count it all joy (James 1:2-3 KJV)
We know Jesus’ joy remains in us and that our joy is full (John 15:11 KJV)
We also know in His presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11 KJV)
It’s amazing how we forget these truths, especially in trying times and situations. I was the main one riding the roller coaster in life. Up one day, down the next. Living against God’s will…tossed and driven by every circumstance. I leaned on the dictionary’s definition of joy. [a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion]. I sure did have joy when everything was going my way and it was nowhere to be found when things weren’t going my way. I had to learn that joy isn’t an emotion tied to successes, as the dictionary defines it. It isn’t acting happy. Joy is a noun. It’s a fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of our Father living on the inside of us!
When I finally got tired of being up one day and down the next and started digging into God’s word about joy and happiness, one of the surprising scriptures that helped with my understanding of joy was this one:
Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Yes! That last part right there! Knowing part of Jesus’ finished works was the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7 KJV) and the fruit of the Spirit that came into us when we received our salvation included joy (Galatians 5:22 KJV), It was an eye opener to know that I had an action/response to make for what the Holy Spirit was producing in my life. My response was to enter in.
So how do we enter in?
We enter into joy by allowing it to influence everything and overflow/override our circumstances.
We enter into joy by remembering what Jesus did (Hebrews 12:2 KJV) and acknowledging that His joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10 KJV). That joy Jesus had before Him was restoring our relationship with our Father (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV). That was more than enough for Him to endure the cross and everything that came with it!
Our relationship with Him is our strength because that was His joy! So stay joyFULL ladies! Rejoice with unspeakable joy! (1 Peter 1:8-9 KJV) and know Because of Jesus, I am JOYFUL!
PRAYER:
Thank you Holy Spirit for guiding us into this truth today. Father God we thank You for Your promise that we have fullness of joy when we are in Your presence. Your word also promises that You will never leave us nor forsake us so we know we can always choose to be in your presence. We receive your gift of joy. We decree and declare that we will remember that it is Your joy that remains in us and we can rest in You knowing that whatever we face and however we feel, we can count it all joy in Jesus’ name!
Amen