Word of the Week - Joy
May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
I was reminded this morning as I was reading the one-year bible of the power of Joy, and the fact that if we have Joy in the Lord, we are strengthened. So, I spent some time meditating on several scriptures related to Joy pulled up this Word of the Week. This is a repeat I shared awhile back but I don’t think we can ever hear enough about pursuing Joy in the Lord.
Joy defined by Merriam-Webster is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires: Delight: The state of happiness or felicity: a source or cause of delight: (verb) to experience great pleasure or delight: rejoice:
Joy vs. Happiness - Even though it is similar to the concept of happiness, Joy is much deeper because it is an attitude and condition of our soul. Happiness tends to be more short term and based upon circumstances and driven by our feelings, whereas Joy is more foundational and based upon a deeper inner condition that can withstand the waves of feelings and circumstances that we all face in our day to day lives.
Joy is powerful - It is pretty amazing how both James and Paul talk about the power of Joy at work in our lives and how it can produce within us an inner fortitude that can supply us the strength to live in victory no matter what circumstances we are facing. “Consider it pure Joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” James 1:2-3. James is reminding us of a key concept as it relates to Joy, if we trust God and know that He is using us for His plans, then we understand that there is purpose in the pain and we can find the Joy of the process of being sanctified in Christ Jesus. This gives us hope, peace and strength, which are all foundational to having Joy. Jesus our savior modeled this for us as He was sacrificing His life for us on the cross. “So we fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the Joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.
Joy is a choice and a gift - Most importantly I think we need to realize and remember that Joy is a choice. We receive Joy by faith when we decide to trust God by surrendering our lives to Him and choose to abide daily in Christ through His word and truth, which gives us deep security in our eternal destiny. Joy is a fruit of God’s spirit that is a byproduct of abiding in Christ. We know that as sons and daughters of the living God our names are written in the Lambs book of life, this is a Joyous reality. We are co-heirs with Christ Jesus in God’s Kingdom. If we believe God’s truth then you cannot help but be overjoyed by the reality of what God has so graciously done for us. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s suffering, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy”. 1 Peter4:12-13
I think it is pretty amazing how our God so deeply desires us to experience the Joy of the Lord, so much so that He uses the word Joy over 200 times in the bible and encourages us to “Rejoice, always (experience Joy over and over continually), pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I pray that “The Joy of the Lord will be your strength” Nehemiah 8:10
Have a Joy filled week…
-Duane