“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}.
The Gift of Joy.
Personal experience of His Joy.
Fullness of Joy.
Joy is the gladness of heart God gifts His people, the deep satisfaction that is found in Him, the delight, happiness in a spiritual relationship with Him and in spiritual realities!
Here is am amazing thought to consider, “In Christ,” you were chosen for joy!
“Joy (chara) {and rejoice) is Greek noun which describes a feeling of inner gladness, delight or rejoicing. Joy is a feeling of inner gladness, delight or rejoicing. Joy in the NT is virtually always used to signify a feeling of “happiness” that is based on spiritual realities (and independent of what “happens”). Joy is an inner gladness; a deep seated pleasure. It is a depth of assurance and confidence that ignites a cheerful heart. It is a cheerful heart that leads to cheerful behavior. Joy is not an experience that comes from favorable circumstances but is God’s gift to believers. Joy is a part of God’s very essence and as discussed below His Spirit manifests this supernatural joy in His children (Galatians 5:22–note, Acts 13:52, 1Th 1:6–note). Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.”-{preceptaustin}
1.The Joy of The Lord Is The Fruit of Hope -{Romans 12:12}
“Rejoicing in hope,” Hope is the foundation. Hope means “confident expectation…” to anticipate and with pleasure. And with Hope as the foundation Joy is the fruit! “The Hope of the righteous is Gladness…”-{Prov 10:28}
2. The Joy of the LORD Strengthens –{Neh 8;10}.
‘Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” His joy strengthened them!
3. The Joy of the LORD is a Safeguard to us. – {Phil 3:1}
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.”-{Phil 3:1}.
The word “safeguard” literally means, “Not to trip, stumble or BE OVERTHROWN.” It refers to not tripping up, stumbling or falling over something. What is it that keeps us from being tripped up spiritually? “Rejoice in the LORD.” To delight in Him. He is the object of rejoicing.
4. The Joy of The LORD is Knowing His Character. –{Phil 3:1}
He is The Sphere that rejoicing takes place. ” …Rejoice in the LORD.”-{Phil 3:1}… knowing Him, such as His Sovereignty, His Salvation, His Sufficiency, His Supply of His Spirit, His Word, His resources to live following Him and supply of precious and magnificent promises to be applied.-{Read 2 Peter 1:3-4}. Obeying the command to delight in Him.
5. The Joy of The LORD Satisfies -{John 15:11}
“Jesus said,”I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”-{Read John 15:11 NLT}.
6. The Joy Of The LORD is The Fruit Of The Spirit. -{Gal 5;22}
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, …”-{Gal 5:22}. It is a reflection of the Holy Spirit living and and controlling us!
7. The Joy Of The LORD Comes From His Word. -{Jer 15:16}.
“Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.”
8. The Joy Of The LORD Is Promoted By Obedience To His Word!
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”-{John 15:10-11}. Who would have thought it, that obedience to His Word means “fullness of Joy!”
In the upper room as Jesus faced the cross, He uses the word seven times -{John 15:11; 16:20, 21, 22, 24; 17:13;}
9. The Joy Of The LORD Can Be Known In Your Trials.
Only Those who know Him can say
“…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance -” The NLT puts it this way, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”-{Romans 5:3-5}
There is purpose in suffering and one reason is what is produced from it, namely perseverance, and He does not want us ignorance but “knowing,” what suffering produces Character, Hope, Love knowing we have been gifted the Holy Spirit! God wants us to be a people who “know” what He is producing in our suffering and in this we can be a rejoicing people amidst the pain!
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” – {James 1:3} It is a command to rejoice and means to immediately commence rejoicing because they “know” also a command and means to understand with the mind what God is doing, he is producing perseverance and spiritual maturity.-{v4}. And so He gives reason to delight in what you know God is doing in your trials!
” but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”- {1 Peter 4;13}. They are suffering and he says to keep on rejoicing at a future hope at the appearing of the LORD Jesus!
“with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”- {Rom 12:15 } Identification, if someone is delighting in something that is not sin, join in and delight in their joy!
“sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”-{2 Cor 10:13}.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. “-{Hab 3:17-18}. Joy In God who was his Savior, was not contingent or deterred by life’s hardships, difficulties, tragedies.
10. The Joy of The LORD Is Experienced Through Faith.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”-{Rom 15:13}.
11. The Joy Of The LORD Is A Gift From The Holy Spirit.
” You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. “-{1 Thess 1:6}.
12. The Joy Of The LORD Will Be Fully Experienced In Heaven.
” You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.“-{Psalm 16:11}
13. The Joy Of The LORD Is The Believer’s Inheritance.
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. “-{Romans 14;17}.
Neither Suffering, trials of all kinds,can thwart, hinder the Joy of the LORD. We can give it away to circumstances or people, but that is by choice! We do not have to. If you look at the above verses regarding suffering and trials, in each verse there he gives reasons to rejoice at what God is doing or will do. He gives us reason to rejoice in hope. How kind of the LORD amidst our troubles we can find His joy, delighting in Him, an inner gladness a deep seated pleasure, satisfaction that comes from Him and gifted to us! A Confidence and an assurance in Him. An inner gladness that is manifested in outer behavior of gladness.
His Joy is not confined, limited, inhibited to our circumstances. For God is not confined, limited, inhibited by circumstances, His Joy supersede’s all- Given by Him, sustained by Him as a gift of a right relationship with and through The Lovely LORD Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross!” And so we must, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”-{Heb 12:2}. There is a future Joy to look forward to and that Joy is being in His presence, being with Him the Author of our salvation!
Amazing Grace!