Feb 12, 2023
Joy is from God
We all want to be happy. Happy is temporal and temporary. It depends on what is happening at the moment. Joy is deeper. Joy comes from God. That feeling that can make you weep from the inside. That feeling like seeing the birth of your child, the return of your child, feeling the love of your child, feeling the love of a close friend. You know that feeling. its safety, security, outside of time, that can occur wherever you are. Satan hates joy. he sends demons and his people to stop yours as soon as you feel it. Think about the last time you felt some joy. It wasn't long before someone made a offhand, sarcastic, negative, nasty or straight up evil comment or action you had to recoil or defend. That was not from God.
Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Joy is evidence (fruit) of the Spirit of God in you. We are to seek to be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
As Christians, as disciples of a living God, followers of Jesus. you should expect to fight with the enemies of God. You are in a constant fight against good and evil why are you surprised? if you weren't on Gods side, the devil wouldn't bother with what he already had. You'd be a part of the world, part of the lost, part of those going on an express one way ticket to hell. but you are not.
so you woke up this morning feeling good. a few minutes later someone said something that changed your mood, we have to learn how to fight better than that. learn to bob and weave, parry and side step. Don't stand there and marvel at how you got hit. Or worse stand flat footed and just take a spiritual beating. Prepare for battle so your joy will stay intact by the end of the day. work on yoru responses to negatives, the verbal judo, the war for your soul. I didn't say counter punch or try to hurt them but deflect, reflect and do as Jesus would. Pray about that and how you will respond the next time. don't stand in the octogan with a demon and take punches. It could come from anyone that does not have the spirit of God to be used by other spirits.
1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God. - Sam Storms
A few years ago I was having conversations with a rabbi from NY that moved to FL about music and the charismic side of judism. I was going to write a book about joy. You know what happened. The rabbi crashed his motorcycle and almost died. The pandemic hit. My wife had a brain tumor removed and it changed our lives. I never did finish my research for that book. Up until now I didn't put all this together. There must be something to this joy thing. Not saying I caused all this mess but it difinely put a hurt in my getty up. It put me down like four flats on my cadillac.
Prayer
Rejoice, rejoice, again I say rejoice. Lift up your countenance to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercies endure forever. Forgive me father, I plead the blood of christ over my situation so I may approach your throne. You have already blessed me in so many ways. thank you, thank you, thank you.
My Lord and my God, you are tender and merciful. thank you for your son Jesus, that you gave to me so that I might live.
You are the lover of my soul. You know my weaknesses and my foolishness. You love me despite my failures, and you long for me to be filled with Your joy.
Lord, I confess that I get distracted by the cares of life, and regularly loose sight of your goodness. I have a tendency to get discouraged easily. I confess that I focus too much on myself and my problems instead of focusing my attention on You.
Lord I surrender my life to you. Have mercy on me. please help me not to hinder the flow of joy in my life, reveal to me what I need to do to stay with you. May your will be done.
Thank you for my life, and the capacity you have given to me to experience Your joy. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my home. Thank you for friends who care about me and who share my interests. Thank you for my work. I pray that you would fill it with meaning and purpose, and that you would give me opportunities to honor you with it.
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Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.