We often talk of our Christian walk as a battle or warfare. Daily, we face trials and difficulties of various kinds. We struggle with sin; we face antagonism from others; we feel we are failing in many ways; we are burdened with cares and heartaches. And yet....we come to our next fruit bearing quality - the fruit of joy!
What is Joy?
Strongs again - "to be bright and cheerful"! How many Christains do you know who are always "bright and cheerful"? Rather, it seems so easy for us to be dull and cross - burdened by difficulties instead of being lifted in joyfulness. But, we are to have joy! As with love, and with all the elements - IT IS NOT OPTIONAL! That means...when the washing machine breaks down - be joyful! When your head aches - be joyful! When you are lonely - be joyful! When you face trials - be joyful! In every circumstance, in every season of life - REJOICE! We are told in I Thessalonians 5:16 to "Rejoice evermore" which means literally "at all times". And Philippians teaches, "rejoice in the Lord ALWAY, and again I say, rejoice"! We are commanded to have joy at all times, and so we must.
How can we experience this though - how can we have joy, even in difficulties? It may be easy to have happiness when things go well, but what about the rest of the time? We can show happiness - which by meaning (happen, things that OCCUR bringing a response) depends on circumstance. But, joy is sourced from somewhere different - NOT based upon our circumstances.
THE ESSENCE OF OUR JOY
So, we must firstly consider where we get this joy. And, as with our love, true joy comes only from the Lord. Joy must begin on the inside, to be evidenced on the outside. It is necessary to look into our soul and consider what deserves our joy. Psalm 35:9 says, "and my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation." Our point of commencement is in our soul. So, why is our soul joyful? We are joyful "in the Lord" - in "his salvation". We are saved and secure in Him. When we consider that he has saved us, and that we are complete in Him - when we remember all that he has done, and is doing for us day by day, we have EVERY reason to rejoice.
When we have the Spirit dwelling in us, as a result of the saving work of our Lord, then we will have joy. So, on the contrary side, if we do NOT have a walk with the Lord as we ought, and forget the wonderful works of the Lord – when we stray far from Him, when we do not walk with Him daily and draw near to Him, can we have joy?
Psalm 51 is a good illustration of this. Read it through. We read here the penitential Psalm of David after he had sinned with Bathsheba. He had wilfully, selfishly, lustfully, deceitfully entered into a wrong relationship. He had sinned so grievously against the Lord. Here, he comes with a true spirit of repentance that is required of us as sinners before a perfect God. We read of him, in verse 10, casting himself on the Lord to be cleansed and have the right spirit. And THEN, in verse 12 "restore unto me THE JOY OF MY SALVATION". He had lost his joy - the joy found in remembering what the Lord has done for us, and the way we should be living for Him as a result of our salvation. We cannot have joy if we are not right with God. Not TRUE joy! We can show happiness - which by meaning (happen, things that OCCUR bringing a response) depends on circumstance. But to have that joy, of which the Psalmist speaks, we need to first be in a right relationship with the Lord.
And then, what do we rejoice IN? Our salvation! When we consider what the Lord has done for us, how can we be anything BUT joyful? He has rescued us from a deserved punishment, into an assurance of sins forgiven and a home in heaven. He suffered a cruel, harsh death, so that we would not have to be punished for our sins. If we live day-by-day remembering our salvation afresh, we will have joy.
Joy originating from the Lord is exemplified in the coming of the Saviour into the world. Matthew 2:9 & 10 we read
"the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
They found the Messiah - the Saviour who was prophesied of in the Old Testament - and they joyed! They had found the Saviour - so too, we joy that we have found the Saviour.
Then in Luke 1:44 we read,
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
Here, the baby that Elizabeth was carrying was aware of the presence of the Saviour in the room, carried by Mary in her womb. So we are joyful when we remember that we are CONTINUALLY in the presence of the Lord!
Luke 2:10 reads
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."
The news that the Saviour had come brought joy - it was a joyful message. We can live a joyful life, and bring that joyful message to others also.
Then, we also read in Matthew 28:8
"And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy;"
So, they joyed that He was risen - the Saviour lived and had conquered death. That could not fail to bring joy to those that believe! Death is vanquished and the Lord lives! Remembering God's power over sin and death causes us to have joy with those followers of old!
Where else do we find our joy? Psalm 5:11 says
"but let those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them...”
Our trust in the Lord brings us joy. We can trust Him to care for us ALWAYS (I Peter 5:7); to provide for us ALWAYS (Philippians 4:19); to bless us (Deuteronomy 28:8); to defend us (Exodus 15:2), as we read in the verse in Psalm 5.
Psalm 16:11 brings us to another source of joy –
"thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy..."
Knowing that we have the Lord's never ending presence with us brings us joy. The hymn writer says "thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide". The verse not only speaks of joy but the "fullness" of joy. We can experience a greater depth of joy when we have a knowledge and sense of God’s presence with us. God's omnipresence should fill us with joy in our life. The children's chorus really states it so simply - "joy, joy, my heart is full of joy; My Saviour dear is ever near, that's the reason why my heart is full of joy".
We can particularly think of being in God's presence when we come before Him in prayer - we have an awareness and consciousness of that presence when we know that God hears us, through Christ’s intercession and by the power of the Holy Spirit. What joy we have when we plead with the Lord in prayer! Isaiah 56:7 says
“then will I.... make them joyful in my house of prayer...”
Also, when we read in John 16:24
“ask, and ye shall receive, that your JOY MAY BE FULL”.
The Lord gives to us, liberally and wonderfully – we ask, he gives, we receive – and we have a fullness of joy. The Lord DELIGHTS to answer our prayers – we ought to return that honour with our joy and praise.
THE ENERGISING FROM OUR JOY
Let us briefly consider a small but important truth related to this joy. Read Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 10. It tells us here,
"the joy of the Lord is your strength".
When we face difficulties and trials, when we feel overwhelmed with circumstances, we can find strength - in our joy! If we keep our hearts and attitudes joyful we will have such a positive outlook on our situation. The world talks about succeeding with a PMA - a positive mental attitude. We have something far greater for rising above our problems - the joy of the Lord. Next time you are struggling in a hardship - remember all that the Lord has done for you - remember all that he is doing - and what he will continue to do.
Remember the promises of the Lord. You WILL find strength!
THE EXPRESSION OF OUR JOY
One of the most prominent aspects of our joy is its expression. There are many different ways that we see joy expressed in the scriptures. This aspect is important, as it is the witness and testimony of what the Lord has done and IS doing in our lives. If we have joy then it needs to be shown outwardly. That is then why we read, in the scriptures, of people "singing" and "shouting" for joy. These are things that others can hear! Then we read of having a cheerful countenance - we cannot be living in the joy of the Lord with gloom and misery on our faces! Psalm 63:15 says that our "mouth shall praise with joyful lips". When we think about what God has done for us - we should want to tell others - joyfully. When we receive our answers to prayer - tell others joyfully. When we go through trials and suffering and feel comforted by the Saviour - tell others joyfully. Speak of it - show it.
Our cheerful countenance is an expression of our inward joy and we want others to know the joy our salvation brings. Sometimes people think that Christians are dull and boring - some Christians live a life that would concur with that view! Some Christians even think that we should be always sombre and dull! But that's not what the Bible teaches us. We even read of people "shouting" for joy - making " a joyful noise" - and praising with "joyful lips".
So, share your joy - make sure your face, expressions and words show others the joy of Jesus in your life.
EXAMPLES THAT ILLUSTRATE OUR JOY
Although we know that we are commanded to simply "rejoice in the lord ALWAY" - all the time, in everything - we are still given helpful examples in God's Word of times when people expressed their joy. From these, we can be reminded of ways we must have joy in our lives.
Ezra 3 : 12 & 13 are the verses at the end of a passage where we learn of the rebuilding of the temple, specifically the rebuilding of the foundations. We read
"many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off."
That must have been an amazing expression of joy! They were so thrilled that the Lord's house was being built that they shouted for joy. They would once again have a place to worship the Lord aright, after spending many years in captivity with no place to worship. People could hear their joy "afar off"!
Do we have that same joy when the Lord's work prospers? Do we appreciate that we have somewhere to go and worship the Lord - that we have the liberty to go to Church regularly? We ought to express our joy to the Lord for these things.
I Chronicles 29:9 reads
“Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered
willingly, because with perfect heart they offered
willingly to the LORD: and David the king also
rejoiced with great joy.”
It tells us of the building of the first temple, commenced under the reign of King David. He initiates the giving of gold and precious stones for the building of the temple. Following this, the people further give of what they have also. They "offered willingly" which causes the people and David to rejoice.
Do we offer sacrificially and willingly to the Lord in all that we do? Do we joyfully give of our money and possesions to further the Lord's work. We have a lesson to learn from these people, in our attitude towards our giving.
Psalm 126:5 & 6 reads
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
Here, we are reminded of our responsibility to share the gospel with others. Not only that, but of the rewards of our sowing, if we labour with tears and effort. We SHALL reap with joy! We shall see the reward of our labours if we go with burden and care for those who we are trying to reach for the Lord. We will return with fruit for our labours. What a joy we would have if we witness to others and see the Lord blessing that labour.
Now read James 1:2
“count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”
Well, that is a challenging one! How can we possibly count that as JOY? When we are experience temptations? Well, if you read on, we learn that the trials lead to patience, which leads to a contentment with what we have, the experience of being complete - “wanting nothing”! This is truly the outliving of “all things working together for good”.
Now, before I get carried away with joy, here are some questions to further look into some aspects covered in the study.
1.Read Hebrews 10:32 – 34. What circumstances does Paul bring to our attention? What example can we learn from it? How should we view our possessions in this light?
2. Study II Corinthians 7. Note all the mentions of joy in the passage. What can we learn from them?
3. Read the last few verses of Acts chapter 13 ( verses 44 – 52). What situation were Paul and Barnabas in? What happened here? How would they have felt about it? What reaction did they have at the end of it all? What can we learn from it?
4. Read Psalm 30:5. What encouragement can we glean from this verse?
5. We considered how we can rejoice when we “trust in the Lord”. We considered the protection that he provides for us. Read the following passages, and find the different description given for the security we find in the Lord. What different types of protection do these portray? Study them and be joyful in them! Proverbs 18:10; Prov.29:25; Ex.15:2; II Sam. 22:2 & 31; Ps. 14:6; Ps. 18:2; Ps.27:1; Ps. 28:7; Ps. 89:18; Ps. 94:22; Ps. 121:5; Ps. 125:2; Heb. 13:6.
6. We also considered that we have our joy “in the Lord” and “of the Lord”. Study these references to names for Jehovah (LORD), and consider what he does that we can be joyful in.
Exodus 15:26 – Jehovah Rophe
Jeremiah 23:6 – Jehovah Tsidkenu
Judges 6:24 – Jehovah Shalom
Exodus 17:15 – Jehovah Nissi
Ezekial 48:35 – Jehovah Shammah
Genesis 22:14 – Jehovah Jireh
Psalm 23:1 – Jehovah Rohi
Leviticus 20:7-8 – Jehovah Mekaddishkem
Study Psalm 23 and find all the above!
What is Joy?
Strongs again - "to be bright and cheerful"! How many Christains do you know who are always "bright and cheerful"? Rather, it seems so easy for us to be dull and cross - burdened by difficulties instead of being lifted in joyfulness. But, we are to have joy! As with love, and with all the elements - IT IS NOT OPTIONAL! That means...when the washing machine breaks down - be joyful! When your head aches - be joyful! When you are lonely - be joyful! When you face trials - be joyful! In every circumstance, in every season of life - REJOICE! We are told in I Thessalonians 5:16 to "Rejoice evermore" which means literally "at all times". And Philippians teaches, "rejoice in the Lord ALWAY, and again I say, rejoice"! We are commanded to have joy at all times, and so we must.
How can we experience this though - how can we have joy, even in difficulties? It may be easy to have happiness when things go well, but what about the rest of the time? We can show happiness - which by meaning (happen, things that OCCUR bringing a response) depends on circumstance. But, joy is sourced from somewhere different - NOT based upon our circumstances.
THE ESSENCE OF OUR JOY
So, we must firstly consider where we get this joy. And, as with our love, true joy comes only from the Lord. Joy must begin on the inside, to be evidenced on the outside. It is necessary to look into our soul and consider what deserves our joy. Psalm 35:9 says, "and my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation." Our point of commencement is in our soul. So, why is our soul joyful? We are joyful "in the Lord" - in "his salvation". We are saved and secure in Him. When we consider that he has saved us, and that we are complete in Him - when we remember all that he has done, and is doing for us day by day, we have EVERY reason to rejoice.
When we have the Spirit dwelling in us, as a result of the saving work of our Lord, then we will have joy. So, on the contrary side, if we do NOT have a walk with the Lord as we ought, and forget the wonderful works of the Lord – when we stray far from Him, when we do not walk with Him daily and draw near to Him, can we have joy?
Psalm 51 is a good illustration of this. Read it through. We read here the penitential Psalm of David after he had sinned with Bathsheba. He had wilfully, selfishly, lustfully, deceitfully entered into a wrong relationship. He had sinned so grievously against the Lord. Here, he comes with a true spirit of repentance that is required of us as sinners before a perfect God. We read of him, in verse 10, casting himself on the Lord to be cleansed and have the right spirit. And THEN, in verse 12 "restore unto me THE JOY OF MY SALVATION". He had lost his joy - the joy found in remembering what the Lord has done for us, and the way we should be living for Him as a result of our salvation. We cannot have joy if we are not right with God. Not TRUE joy! We can show happiness - which by meaning (happen, things that OCCUR bringing a response) depends on circumstance. But to have that joy, of which the Psalmist speaks, we need to first be in a right relationship with the Lord.
And then, what do we rejoice IN? Our salvation! When we consider what the Lord has done for us, how can we be anything BUT joyful? He has rescued us from a deserved punishment, into an assurance of sins forgiven and a home in heaven. He suffered a cruel, harsh death, so that we would not have to be punished for our sins. If we live day-by-day remembering our salvation afresh, we will have joy.
Joy originating from the Lord is exemplified in the coming of the Saviour into the world. Matthew 2:9 & 10 we read
"the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
They found the Messiah - the Saviour who was prophesied of in the Old Testament - and they joyed! They had found the Saviour - so too, we joy that we have found the Saviour.
Then in Luke 1:44 we read,
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
Here, the baby that Elizabeth was carrying was aware of the presence of the Saviour in the room, carried by Mary in her womb. So we are joyful when we remember that we are CONTINUALLY in the presence of the Lord!
Luke 2:10 reads
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."
The news that the Saviour had come brought joy - it was a joyful message. We can live a joyful life, and bring that joyful message to others also.
Then, we also read in Matthew 28:8
"And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy;"
So, they joyed that He was risen - the Saviour lived and had conquered death. That could not fail to bring joy to those that believe! Death is vanquished and the Lord lives! Remembering God's power over sin and death causes us to have joy with those followers of old!
Where else do we find our joy? Psalm 5:11 says
"but let those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them...”
Our trust in the Lord brings us joy. We can trust Him to care for us ALWAYS (I Peter 5:7); to provide for us ALWAYS (Philippians 4:19); to bless us (Deuteronomy 28:8); to defend us (Exodus 15:2), as we read in the verse in Psalm 5.
Psalm 16:11 brings us to another source of joy –
"thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy..."
Knowing that we have the Lord's never ending presence with us brings us joy. The hymn writer says "thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide". The verse not only speaks of joy but the "fullness" of joy. We can experience a greater depth of joy when we have a knowledge and sense of God’s presence with us. God's omnipresence should fill us with joy in our life. The children's chorus really states it so simply - "joy, joy, my heart is full of joy; My Saviour dear is ever near, that's the reason why my heart is full of joy".
We can particularly think of being in God's presence when we come before Him in prayer - we have an awareness and consciousness of that presence when we know that God hears us, through Christ’s intercession and by the power of the Holy Spirit. What joy we have when we plead with the Lord in prayer! Isaiah 56:7 says
“then will I.... make them joyful in my house of prayer...”
Also, when we read in John 16:24
“ask, and ye shall receive, that your JOY MAY BE FULL”.
The Lord gives to us, liberally and wonderfully – we ask, he gives, we receive – and we have a fullness of joy. The Lord DELIGHTS to answer our prayers – we ought to return that honour with our joy and praise.
THE ENERGISING FROM OUR JOY
Let us briefly consider a small but important truth related to this joy. Read Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 10. It tells us here,
"the joy of the Lord is your strength".
When we face difficulties and trials, when we feel overwhelmed with circumstances, we can find strength - in our joy! If we keep our hearts and attitudes joyful we will have such a positive outlook on our situation. The world talks about succeeding with a PMA - a positive mental attitude. We have something far greater for rising above our problems - the joy of the Lord. Next time you are struggling in a hardship - remember all that the Lord has done for you - remember all that he is doing - and what he will continue to do.
Remember the promises of the Lord. You WILL find strength!
THE EXPRESSION OF OUR JOY
One of the most prominent aspects of our joy is its expression. There are many different ways that we see joy expressed in the scriptures. This aspect is important, as it is the witness and testimony of what the Lord has done and IS doing in our lives. If we have joy then it needs to be shown outwardly. That is then why we read, in the scriptures, of people "singing" and "shouting" for joy. These are things that others can hear! Then we read of having a cheerful countenance - we cannot be living in the joy of the Lord with gloom and misery on our faces! Psalm 63:15 says that our "mouth shall praise with joyful lips". When we think about what God has done for us - we should want to tell others - joyfully. When we receive our answers to prayer - tell others joyfully. When we go through trials and suffering and feel comforted by the Saviour - tell others joyfully. Speak of it - show it.
Our cheerful countenance is an expression of our inward joy and we want others to know the joy our salvation brings. Sometimes people think that Christians are dull and boring - some Christians live a life that would concur with that view! Some Christians even think that we should be always sombre and dull! But that's not what the Bible teaches us. We even read of people "shouting" for joy - making " a joyful noise" - and praising with "joyful lips".
So, share your joy - make sure your face, expressions and words show others the joy of Jesus in your life.
EXAMPLES THAT ILLUSTRATE OUR JOY
Although we know that we are commanded to simply "rejoice in the lord ALWAY" - all the time, in everything - we are still given helpful examples in God's Word of times when people expressed their joy. From these, we can be reminded of ways we must have joy in our lives.
Ezra 3 : 12 & 13 are the verses at the end of a passage where we learn of the rebuilding of the temple, specifically the rebuilding of the foundations. We read
"many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off."
That must have been an amazing expression of joy! They were so thrilled that the Lord's house was being built that they shouted for joy. They would once again have a place to worship the Lord aright, after spending many years in captivity with no place to worship. People could hear their joy "afar off"!
Do we have that same joy when the Lord's work prospers? Do we appreciate that we have somewhere to go and worship the Lord - that we have the liberty to go to Church regularly? We ought to express our joy to the Lord for these things.
I Chronicles 29:9 reads
“Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered
willingly, because with perfect heart they offered
willingly to the LORD: and David the king also
rejoiced with great joy.”
It tells us of the building of the first temple, commenced under the reign of King David. He initiates the giving of gold and precious stones for the building of the temple. Following this, the people further give of what they have also. They "offered willingly" which causes the people and David to rejoice.
Do we offer sacrificially and willingly to the Lord in all that we do? Do we joyfully give of our money and possesions to further the Lord's work. We have a lesson to learn from these people, in our attitude towards our giving.
Psalm 126:5 & 6 reads
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
Here, we are reminded of our responsibility to share the gospel with others. Not only that, but of the rewards of our sowing, if we labour with tears and effort. We SHALL reap with joy! We shall see the reward of our labours if we go with burden and care for those who we are trying to reach for the Lord. We will return with fruit for our labours. What a joy we would have if we witness to others and see the Lord blessing that labour.
Now read James 1:2
“count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”
Well, that is a challenging one! How can we possibly count that as JOY? When we are experience temptations? Well, if you read on, we learn that the trials lead to patience, which leads to a contentment with what we have, the experience of being complete - “wanting nothing”! This is truly the outliving of “all things working together for good”.
Now, before I get carried away with joy, here are some questions to further look into some aspects covered in the study.
1.Read Hebrews 10:32 – 34. What circumstances does Paul bring to our attention? What example can we learn from it? How should we view our possessions in this light?
2. Study II Corinthians 7. Note all the mentions of joy in the passage. What can we learn from them?
3. Read the last few verses of Acts chapter 13 ( verses 44 – 52). What situation were Paul and Barnabas in? What happened here? How would they have felt about it? What reaction did they have at the end of it all? What can we learn from it?
4. Read Psalm 30:5. What encouragement can we glean from this verse?
5. We considered how we can rejoice when we “trust in the Lord”. We considered the protection that he provides for us. Read the following passages, and find the different description given for the security we find in the Lord. What different types of protection do these portray? Study them and be joyful in them! Proverbs 18:10; Prov.29:25; Ex.15:2; II Sam. 22:2 & 31; Ps. 14:6; Ps. 18:2; Ps.27:1; Ps. 28:7; Ps. 89:18; Ps. 94:22; Ps. 121:5; Ps. 125:2; Heb. 13:6.
6. We also considered that we have our joy “in the Lord” and “of the Lord”. Study these references to names for Jehovah (LORD), and consider what he does that we can be joyful in.
Exodus 15:26 – Jehovah Rophe
Jeremiah 23:6 – Jehovah Tsidkenu
Judges 6:24 – Jehovah Shalom
Exodus 17:15 – Jehovah Nissi
Ezekial 48:35 – Jehovah Shammah
Genesis 22:14 – Jehovah Jireh
Psalm 23:1 – Jehovah Rohi
Leviticus 20:7-8 – Jehovah Mekaddishkem
Study Psalm 23 and find all the above!
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