“...For the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10.
Joy is mentioned as the second sweet fruit of the Spirit and the word ‘joy’ itself is considered to appear nearly 200 times in the Bible. Joy is from within our heart, regardless of our situations. Rick Warren defines it as, “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”
In the Bible, we see Joseph was always joyful in the Lord despite being put through several trials throughout his life. His circumstances didn’t not affect his joy. From his father’s house, to the pit, to the slavery, to the prison and to the palace, at all times he was joyful in the Lord and trusted in Him. Apostle Paul and Silas, chose to be joyful and praised God and sang hymns even when they were imprisoned. Likewise, Joy is our portion in Christ Jesus that cannot be taken away by our situations. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and He brings forth His joy from within ourselves, that no person or situations or trials can take it from us.
In today’s difficult world, we are facing so many adversities and we hear all saddening news, which might take away our happiness, but the joy of our Lord is our strength and it is an internal experience that our unhappy circumstances can’t affect. All joyful people in the Bible had one thing in common- their faith in God. When we trust in God’s sovereignty and the hope of His promises and glory, it gives us an irreplaceable joy. Let the Holy Spirit help us to find Joy in the midst of the storm with our faith in God. Amen!
Blessed!!!
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