"These things I have spoken to you so that My Joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:11
"Do not be grieved, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
Wow.
So, I thought I would write a blog on the joy of the Lord, and I am finding it is hard to limit to 600 words or less (that's the amount of words that my husband thinks will keep people's attention and I think he's right). This is an interesting topic, one that I am going to take a few posts to discuss with you.
Notice I wrote "discuss." That implies a response from you.
In our ladies Bible study we have been memorizing John 15 and I am a few verses ahead of the gang, only because I started earlier than they did - not because I am an over-achiever. This week, my verse is the one above. Jesus is explaining how to abide in Him and how to bear fruit, the benefits of being a fruit-bearer and the consequences of being barren in the fruit category.
Then He says that the reason He has instructed us is so that His joy would be in us, making our joy full. I started pondering the Joy of the Lord and this led to word and phrase searches.
What makes God joyful? Does anything make Him joyful or is He simply joyful because He is God? When He is pleased, does this increase His joy? Are there times He isn't joyful or because He is God, does His joy always abound?
I am not sure I have the answer to all of these questions, but I want to expound on some of them. I think what pushed me into this is the verse in Nehemiah that says "...the joy of the Lord is your strength." I think the very fact that my strength comes from God's joy means that His joy is unlimited and never-ending.
So I am going to start by posing a question to you:
What is the joy of the Lord?
Oh, don't worry - I don't think you will give me wrong answers. Probably the sum of what we discuss will embody truth, so don't hesitate to comment.
(...tag...you're it!)
I'll give this a try. After working in a stressed out, over loaded, sick staff, sick patients, stretched in one direction to the next for several days on end...And working under someone who is more concerned with appearances and paper work, rules and regulations and making comments that send the entire work place in a downward spiral of moral decline that sets everyone on edge... The Lord says to me... But you are not working for her, your working for Me... and I remembered my verses. I am the branch connected to the vine and when I abide in the vine I can bear fruit and If I abide in the vine, HIS words abide in me and I can ask anything and it will be done for me, and my Father will be glorified, I will bear fruit, and they will know I am a disciple of the Lord. Now, I have condensed the verses but just saying them over in my head brought me comfort in knowing I was His child and I didn't have to prove to anyone but my Lord that I was doing the best possible job I could do under the circumstances and it gave me a uplifted heart to smile and changed my attitude so that I could encourage others to brush it off and move on.. This trial will pass and a new day dawns...
ReplyDeleteJesus said that He spoke "these things" so His joy might be in us. I see the joy of the Lord then involving the truths of His Word. We cannot experience the Lord's joy as strengthening us without being in His Word, without surrounding ourselves and immersing ourselves with truth. His truth literally makes my heart sing at times. The more I am in it, the more joy I experience, the more I am strengthened. It can pull my heart literally from fear to great courage when I set my mind on the Lord and His truths. Jesus seems to indicate that our joy is measurable. Our joy can be full. I think we experience the fullest of His joy when our hearts and minds are saturated in His truth.
ReplyDeleteGod finds great joy when a sinner is saved.
ReplyDeleteLuke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
David pleads to God in Psalm 51. In Psalm 51:12 he asks God: Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.
When sin enters in, joy departs. David learned the hard way what is was like to not have strength in the Joy of the Lord.
Could go on and on!
I've gotta agree with Kathy -- God's word is the source of joy. When I start feeling down and turn to His word, He inevitably lifts me up with His words. How can that help but inspire joy? Just today it was the words "...THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me." I'm not alone in all the sickness and junk going on at our house. He's going through it with me and my strength comes from Him -- I don't have to work it up on my own :o) What a relief! And what joy!
ReplyDeleteCome on guys....??? don't yous'e have any joy? It would be great if men would also join the blog and express their joy!
ReplyDeleteTo me the joy of the Lord is that always knowing in your knower that He is the great "I AM"...and in that is safety & security...we are safe with our Daddy!