The Joy of the Lord
It is a good thing that God is so smart that He knows how to give us joy. Many people think that joy is a reaction or a response to something that happens to them. That is not joy. That is happiness. Joy is substantively different. Joy is a tangible blessing which God gives to us as a fruit if His Spirit. We can have joy no matter what has happened to us or is happening to us. It is a gift of God, and no one can take it from us. I pray that you know the joy of the Lord.
The main reason we need joy from the Lord is that His joy is our strength. Without the joy of the Lord we are drained, frustrated and down when trials come. However, we have strength as long as we have the joy of the Lord. The joy reminds us that His strength is there for us in every circumstance. Therefore, we are never without strength, when we allow the Lord to be in control.
A lot of the joy of the Lord comes from seeing His hand work in our lives, too. When we see Him protect us or provide for us, it brings us that joy. Hardly a day goes by in which I do not receive joy from the Lord when I see Him work. Today, was a good example of that. God is so good all the time! There is joy for the journey, and it comes from resting in the Lord and being filled with His Spirit.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Samuel 19-20 and Luke 18:1-23.
The main reason we need joy from the Lord is that His joy is our strength. Without the joy of the Lord we are drained, frustrated and down when trials come. However, we have strength as long as we have the joy of the Lord. The joy reminds us that His strength is there for us in every circumstance. Therefore, we are never without strength, when we allow the Lord to be in control.
A lot of the joy of the Lord comes from seeing His hand work in our lives, too. When we see Him protect us or provide for us, it brings us that joy. Hardly a day goes by in which I do not receive joy from the Lord when I see Him work. Today, was a good example of that. God is so good all the time! There is joy for the journey, and it comes from resting in the Lord and being filled with His Spirit.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Samuel 19-20 and Luke 18:1-23.