May 30th
May 30th
God created JOY. He created you. He created you to experience joy. He didn’t have to, He wanted to and He wanted you to know His joy. So why don’t we experience joy more often?
Joy in our salvation is our strength, why do we let the enemy steal our joy?
Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy can be in the midst of sorrow and He can turn our mourning into joy. (Jeremiah 31:13) The enemy will use our circumstances to steal our joy, but if we focus on Jesus instead of our circumstances we can find joy in the midst of sorrow. That is what Jesus did on the cross.
Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
One of the reasons this can happen is because Joy isn’t happiness. Joy isn’t just an emotion, it is more than that. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. So to have joy we don’t need the right circumstances, we just need the Holy Spirit. How can this be when we are overwhelmed with grief, anger, unforgiveness, frustration or hurt? Ask the Holy Spirit. Give Him permission to work in that area and give you joy in the middle of it all. Surrender the circumstances or emotions to Him and let Him change, first your heart and then maybe the details around you.
Psalm 30:11-12 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Psalm 94:19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
Isaiah 61:10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.
Psalm 119:1-2 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
1 Thessalonians 1:6 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 Peter 1:3-9 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Receive His Joy today!
Jesus, thank you for joy! Thank you for creating it and desiring me to experience it. Thank you that joy does not depend upon circumstances. Help me to relinquish the emotions that I am clinging to instead of joy. Holy Spirit, I give you permission to work in me whatever it takes to bring joy into my heart and life. Restore to me the joy of your salvation Jesus. Help me to see the reasons to have joy today.