God gives us joy because He is joyful. Thats the problem some people have today. In this life, there is only one source of joy that's lasting - one source that will never end Jesus. Does the older brother rejoice that the lost son has returned? The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength Nehemiah 8:10. And finally, in Philippians, we read: Rejoice in the Lord always. God will shine our paths and give us clear guidance one step at a time! My life is in turmoil and I am miserable. 1 God's Strength and Joy are in Heaven. The fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). With that in mind, lets check and see what a joyful person looks like. I now realize this does not say quite enough. The James passage clearly states that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. The lost itemsa sheep and a coinwere found because the owner who had lost them sought for them. Joy is both a description of God and a description of what He gives. Write down scriptures about joy, and read them every day. And the service He requires of us even now is to be done joyfully rather than sullenly. He delights in the sons whom He disciplines (Proverbs 3:12; see Hebrews 12:3-13). Youre never without it. Unfortunately, the word happy has been redefined and so trivialized in our culture that it is little wonder we hesitate to use it in reference to Christians or to our God. Experience The Joy Of The Lord By Meditating On The Character of God 5. Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I desperately want joy in my life. In Nehemiah, we find this familiar statement: 18 The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). For the present, however, we may be safer to use the term joy, a term more frequently used of God and of Christians. 11 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. And the temptation of envy to kill the peace and joy others that you dont have will be ever present and likewise destructive toxic force against those who will offer all for the gift of Joy that God gives for those who truly will trust in Him. function() { Trials will come in life (John 16:33), but one of the blessings of being a Christian is that we have joy and peace no matter what our circumstances are. Were on a mission to change that. Have a lovely day dear. Kindly join in and be blessed. This parable has much to teach us about Christian service. If you want to press further up and further into this mystery which I think is a good idea we can ask: Is it not the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling of the very person of the Trinity who himself is the embodiment of the joy that the Father has in the Son and the Son has in the Father isnt this joy of Jesus in us the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God? Joy is an inner gladness; a deep seated pleasure. Thank you and God Bless. How grateful we should be for this attribute of our great God. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at [email protected]. We do a great disservice to God and others when we portray God in a way that matches the false perception of the wicked slave of Matthew 25. Even Jesus told us this in, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you. Kenneth Copeland Ministries is dedicated to building up believers faith and deepening their walk with Christ, so they can live the victorious life God promised. I also recommend Worldly Saints, subtitled The Puritans As They Really Were, by Leland Ryken (Grand Rapids: Academie Books, 1986). Step One: We Abide in Him. In verse twenty-one of the chapter, the people responded to Joshua with a positive indication that they will serve the Lord. He rejoices in justice (Proverbs 21:15). Luke 15 is yet another example of the joyful disposition of our God. 19 Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Hes too busy blocking his own way! A Sermon(No. And therefore, how to find joy and experience it to the full is what everybody cares about and ought to care about. The Spirit of God and the Word of God are two primary means by which the joy of the Lord is conveyed to men (see Psalm 119:111; Jeremiah 15:16; verses on the Holy Spirit and joy above). His delight is not in personal, selfish, sensual pleasures, but he finds pleasure in God: 13 If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word, 14 Then you will take delight in the Lord, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the Lord has spoken (Isaiah 58:13-14). A meditation on Ezra's statement, "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). God likewise took pleasure in making David king over Israel and then in rescuing him from danger. He says that, Real, deep, and lasting joy is found only in Jesus. First John 5:14-15 says, This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 20 He also brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me (2 Samuel 22:20). Enter code FAITH and have answers to your Bible questions at your fingertips. 4 Where does you joy come from? 36 Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together (John 4:36). I get that and I am doing my best to read in the word daily and do my LGG bible studies daily as well. We need to protect our faith. So, if joy is a command, then happiness is something we can control. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! This third slave fascinates me. And how does joy provide us with strength? 27 For it is written, Rejoice, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor; For more are the children of the desolate Than of the one who has a husband (Galatians 4:27). The two joys are very different. This incredible little phrase, one that we've quoted, one that hangs up like artwork, one that we sing - means this. When you put your focus on the goodness of God and His Word, it is impossible to be depressed. 92 I recommend for your understanding of the Puritans J. I. Packers excellent book, A Quest For Godliness, a study of the Puritans which corrects many contemporary misconceptions (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1990). Because they do not believe they are sinners, and they do not want Gods grace. God the Father takes pleasure in choosing or selecting. The master was (or would be) joyful, and his faithful slaves would enter into this joy as well. Nehemiah 8:10 in all English translations. Because God never changes, His joy never changes. 46 And they shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. We need to protect our faith. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Joy can have the same effect when it comes to receiving things like prosperity or divine wisdom. The Holy Spirit is the means by which the joy of our Lord, the joy of our Master, is conveyed to the believer. The first two slaves were faithful, and their reward was to enter into the joy of their master. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. 12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it. James 1:2-3. Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The joy of the Lord comes from Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and it has the power to give us strength in difficult times. Ending soon! We think we have it all figured out - that we know how life works best. In this article, I will answer those questions and more as I explore the joy of the Lord in greater depth. Because trials make us stronger. It is not just a state of mind or a fleeting emotion. Live Now | Online Holy Mass/ "the Pilgrim's Mass" - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 09, 2023 - 9:30am. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. I would like to ask for prayer. 1997 2023 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc. Aka Kenneth Copeland Ministries. If you leave joy sitting dormant, it wont do you much good, so it must be put into practice. May God always help us run to his word for direction. A joyful heart really does good like medicine. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Praise God for His amazing grace and for giving us everything we need! And this joy doesnt originate with us; we cant conjure up more joy than what he provides (Lamentations 3:22-25). The writer to the Hebrews speaks of the Lord Jesus as being motivated to carry out His work on the cross of Calvary by the joy into which He would enter by His sacrificial atonement: 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. I find it interesting and instructive to consider this story from the perspective of joy. 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10). An international repertory theater group performed in a small village church in Scotland. When were filled with Gods joy, were able to do things we never thought possible. This verse comes after Ezra reads the law to the people and they celebrate by having a feast. If joy is something youve put on your spiritual back burner, its time to move it front and center to enjoy the benefits. The setting is Jerusalem after the children of Israel have been punished by the Babylonian captivity. Joy is a spiritual force thats born into you like the other fruit of the spirit. You have sorrow now, but your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. John 16:22 (ESV). Same here I just re-subscribed Hope that it woks. The Bible leaves no doubt about what pleases and displeases God. And the Peter passage states that our faith, which is priceless, will be proved genuine and result in praise to God. A dictionary definition of happiness is "a state of well-being; a pleasurable or satisfying experience." A definition of the word rejoice, related to the word joy, is "to feel great delight; to be glad." Depending on the translation, the Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times, while joy and rejoice appear over 300 times. Gods creation enters into the joy of its Creator: 8 And they who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Thy signs; Thou dost make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy (Psalm 65:8). Our money, health, knowledge, education, or friends also cannot be our main source of joy. For some reason, the joy of the Lord seems to be a neglected aspect of Gods nature and character. So this is important. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy (Psalm 96:12). Why? A really important question from a listener named Nicholas who went to the Ask Pastor John home page and emailed us this question: Hi Pastor John! 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit gave me joy and peace to live life on earth with a better understanding of who He is and what life was created for. All Rights Reserved. God is not a cruel master, who expects us to gain a profit where He has given us no provision. eighteen Acts 13:52 tells us that while Paul was waiting in Athens for Timothy and Silas that a deep sleep fell upon him; but at midnight there stood a certain man before him, who brought them news about how many believed his message.
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