John 15:9-11 NLT
[9] “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. [10] When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. [11] I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
Good Morning!
What is true joy? Where does joy come from? How do we get more of it? These are questions that plague most. People try their whole lives to find the key to life, the answer to life, the purpose of life, all the while missing what a Jewish Carpenter did 2000 years ago, giving us the only key to real joy. The reality is God built a us with a Jesus-sized hole in our heart that only He can fill. Without Him to fill that hole, we can never have true joy. There is no amount of “stuff” on this planet that can fill that void and the only true joy comes from above.
There will always be trials in this life that the devil will try to use against us to try to steal our joy, but God promises us that He will bear our burdens as we remain steadfast in Him. Joy is not a matter of circumstances in our lives, it is a choice — to remain in Him in order to be filled with joy that only Jesus can give us. As a branch attached to the vine, we will continually be sustained in good times and the trials that we face. Jesus promises us that if we remain in Him, then we will be fruitful and one of the fruits of the Spirit is Joy, so we can stand on this as a promise.
John 15:4 NLT
[4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remai
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
[22] But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
When we live with The Joy of The Lord in our lives, others will take notice. They may even ask you things like, “why are you always so happy?” or “why are you always so calm?” When this happens, take it as a compliment that you have the Joy of the Lord shining from your heart. The Joy of the Lord is our strength and we should not be ashamed to talk about it, especially if an opportunity arises when someone specifically asks you. God puts people in our lives for a reason. It is not a burden to share God’s love. It is a pleasure and a privilege for us lead others to The Lord. Jesus commanded us, “Go into all the world and preach the Good news to everyone.” So we should take that as a literal assignment and be open and ready for those opportunities.
Philippians 4:4-5 NLT
[4] Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! [5] Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Nehemiah 8:10b NLT
[10] …Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”
Romans 1:16a NLT
[16] For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes…
Mark 16:15 NLT
[15] And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
When we are overflowing with The Joy of The Lord, there is nothing on earth that can take that away. We may have daily stresses, a bad day at work, people around us that seem to be getting ahead, while we do not. All of those things are just temporary and as we look to The Lord, the lifter of our head, we find the only true Joy that gives us an inner peace and happiness that only God can provide. Remain in Him and He will remain in us as a branch of the Kingdom of God, finding joy in His commands.
Psalm 119:143 NLT
[143] As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
[16] Always be joyful. [17] Never stop praying. [18] Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
I love you and am praying for you today.
Dad