As Christians we are supposed to testify to the presence of Christ in our lives by expressing the fruits of the Spirit. This week we take a deeper dive into one of those fruits, the joy of the Lord. The NIV version of the Bible shows over 200 mentions of joy in the Scriptures. Clearly, this is a topic in which our Lord expects us to be informed, so let’s explore what the Word has to say.
- God dwells in joy, and our joy is an anointing that comes from being in the presence of God
Psalm 45:7
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
1 Chronicles 16:27
Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His dwelling place.
Psalm 21:6
6 Surely You have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
Scriptures make it clear that the wellspring of our joy is the presence of God. If we are to bear the fruit of joy, we need to spend time with Him. Psalm 100 tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise, while Psalm 22 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. Taken together, these verses make it clear that we get access to God’s presence, and therefore the fountain of joy, through thankfulness and praise. Once in His presence, we will experience the fullness of joy, and be anointed with the oil of joy so that we can bear this fruit in our daily lives.
- Maintaining our joy requires a focus on God’s kingdom, not the trials of life
I Peter 1:6-9
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Hebrews 10:33-35
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
I Thessalonians 1:6
6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
James 1:2-3
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Christ Himself told us that we would have trouble in this world (John 16), but to be of good cheer, because He has overcome the world. We are also told in Psalm 34 that the righteous will have many afflictions, and that God will deliver us from all of them. In the midst of all of these trials we are to maintain our joy by ensuring that our focus remains on our salvation and the certain end of the coming of the Lord’s kingdom. Without this focus our love can grow cold (Matthew 24), our waters bitter (James 3), and our joy diminished. If we instead maintain a focus on the goodness of God and the fulfillment of His plan, we remain steadfast and thankful. As our thankfulness turns to praise, we once again enter His presence, and renew our joy.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, please share.
Be blessed.
K
Our Eyes On Him 