Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is… joy
Nehemiah 8:10
the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Psalms 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Psalms 35:9
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Romans 15:13
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Do you see a common vein in these verses? Joy is the product of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! Before you trusted Christ as your Savior, you could not experience real joy. Joy can be thought of as a deep delight and trust in the LORD that only a personal relationship and sweet fellowship with Christ can bring. Warren Wiersbe referred to it as “holy optimism!” I love that description! Optimistic Christians, what a novel idea!
Happiness is often mistaken for joy, but happiness is a result of happenings. We all know that our circumstances can change instantly, causing a fluctuation in our emotions, which determines our happiness. We’ve all been there. We’re up; we’re down; we’re somewhere in between. Joy, on the other hand, is anchored much deeper than happenings. It can weather the storm because it is firmly planted in a relationship with Almighty God. Joy can remain constant, steadfast, and true despite the trials and problems of life!
Can joy increase and decrease like happiness? Yes, it can. Because our joy is determined not only on a relationship, but also fellowship, there are times our joy isn’t full. For example, if you doubt your salvation, this can affect your joy because you are questioning your relationship with God. Failing to read your Bible, pray, or not going to church could cause your joy not to be full. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, and all other sins can cause us to grow distant to God, and is sure to deplete the joyful Christian life that God intended us to have.
David said in Psalms 51:12a
“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.“
If David, a man after God’s own heart, would need his joy restored, then we definitely will find ourselves in this same place from time to time.
How can we restore our joy? God has given us his Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit, whereby we can grow in grace and experience the kind of fellowship with Christ that will produce joy in our lives. The closer we are in fellowship with the Lord, the fuller our joy will be!
John 15:11
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
1 John 1:4
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Think on These Things ~ Tap into the reservoir of true joy and be filled to overflowing!