YOU HAVE JOY

One of the greatest outcomes of your faith is the gift of Joy. More than happiness in circumstances, Joy buoys your life through the mountains and valleys, the ups and downs.

Joy, abiding joy, is not something the world can give. Joy is one of the gifts of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). You have joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17)

“You will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”( John 16:22)

The very calling of God’s people is to be people who are filled with joy. Repeatedly you are encouraged to sing for joy, (Isa 43:23, Ps 98:8, 1 Chron 16:33, + 124 references) Or you are commended to shout for joy. (Isa 54:1, Ps 100:1-2, Isa 49:13, + 104 references)  For those who are in a right relationship with God, joy is a blessing God gives. “The prospect of the righteous is joy.” (Proverbs 10:28)

 

Joy strengthens you to face each and every day, no matter what it brings. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:18)  “For the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)   The very example having joy in the face of adversity is your Lord Jesus. “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.” (Hebrews 12:2) . Even in the midst of hardships, your joy grounded in God remains. (Hebrews 10:34, James 1:2)

Your joy springs from our relationship with Christ Jesus. The angels proclaim that the birth of Jesus will “cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)

In the life of believers, joy is natural result of having received salvation. Irrelevant of whatever other circumstances are happening in your life the joy comes on account of what Christ has done for you. When the disciples encountered the risen Lord, they worshipped him and returned to their lives “with great joy.” (Luke 24:52)

Joy comes because God is victorious over all your adversaries. Joy belongs to you because you belong to Christ and he has overcome sin, death and the devil. Jesus has spoken his good news into your life “so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)  Christ gives you a joy in Him that no one and no circumstance can take away.

“You will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”( John 16:22)

 

May Heavenly Father, the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Christ, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Pastor Douglas