JOY

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but

righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17).

We must remember, however, that these qualities are the fruit of the Spirit and

are, therefore, traits of character that are beyond the realization of man by his own

efforts. In fact, Jesus, in speaking to His disciples concerning the vine and the

branches, makes it clear that it is His joy that they share:

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy

might remain in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:11).

His joy is everlasting, a "joy that no man taketh from you" (John 16:22). In

teaching them about the new relationship they will have with the Father through

His name, Jesus said:

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and

ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:2-4).

In His prayer He reminds the Father that He is coming back to Him and has

spoken to His disciples in order that "they might have my joy fulfilled in them-

selves" (John 17:13). His joy was the inner strength that sustained Him on the

cross, as the writer of the Hebrew letter shares with us:

Who for the joy that was set before him endured the

cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the

right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2).

David was caught up by the Spirit and prophesied how the hope of joy was

the power that sustained Christ as he endured His sufferings,

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt

thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. Thou

wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is ful-

ness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for

evermore (Psalms 16:10-11).

Peter, James, and John all caught the vision of this joy. James exhorts,

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers

temptations...that ye may be perfect and entire,

wanting nothing (James 1:2-4).

Peter echoes the same idea as he encourages the church scattered abroad through

persecution to remember that the

Trial of your faith... might be found unto praise and

honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

whom having not seen, ye love...yet believing, ye

rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (I Peter 1:6-8).

John says that he is writing to his fellow Christians about what he had seen and

heard "that your joy may be full" (I John 1:1-4).

This joy of the Lord produced in our hearts by the Spirit enables us to fulfill

the prophetic admonitions found in the scriptures:

Rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 3:1);

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice (Phil. 4:4);

and

Rejoice evermore....In everything give thanks (I Thess 5:16-18).

Joy is the ability to rejoice and be content in whatsoever state you find

yourself, to be able to cope with all of life's situations and problems.When the

Christians were persecuted, what did they do? They rejoiced. When the Chris-

tians were beaten, what did they do? They rejoiced. When the Christians were

put in jail, what did they do? They rejoiced. When the Christians were told not to

preach, what did they do? They rejoiced. Everything was a cause for joy. How

can you defeat people like that? Neither the devil nor the cares of life can ever

defeat a person as long as that person rejoices in the Lord. In whatsoever situa-

tion you find yourself, the Spirit will enable you to give thanks, rejoice, and to

express the joy of the Lord.