"The thief does no come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10 NKJV
How does your joy get stolen? The devil is no fool; he knows what he is doing; he knows how to disarm you and will use this to disable every plan that he can. He knows that if you keep your joy, you will be strong and equipped for battle (Nehemiah 8:10), therefore he has to steal it away before you gain the victory.
Think about this. How many times do you determine to be victorious and joyful, only to fall at the first hurdle. You cannot just click your fingers to become joyful; it would be great if there was a button that you could press to discharge this joy. James writes, 'Count it all joy when you fall into various trials' James 1:2. Therefore, this shows us that you have to assume this joy, it is not necessarily there in the first place. It is how you view the things that come against you. Tony Evans writes:
'What you focus on governs how you feel. The reason why many of us stay grieved for so long, is because we stay focused on what is wrong. Rather than finding our chief joy in the Lord, we turn on the TV to escape. We enter into illegitimate relationships to escape. We get involved with drugs or alcohol to escape. If your focus is properly situated on the Lord however, He will give you His joy; and His joy will give you strength.'
The Tony Evans' Bible commentary
Joy contains an intense, ecstatic happiness. It makes you feel wonderful; you cannot fail to praise God when you feel this way. You take great pleasure in praising Him, therefore, you are filled with the strength to achieve your goals. The joy of the Lord, is the joy that springs up in your heart because of your relationship with God. It is a God-given gladness found only when you're walking in unity with Him. Remember, when your goal is to know more about the Lord, the by-product is joy.
What James tells you in James Chapter one, is not easy to accomplish; but if you can manage it, it gives you the ability to cope and get through each problem that you face. When you think about it, it is another opportunity to praise God. Whatever is happening to you at this moment, remember, He is still on the throne. Jesus' joy shone through as recorded in Hebrews 12:2. The joy that was set before Him, made Him endure the cross, despising the shame and He did it all for you. You may say, 'Yes, but He was God'. That is true, but He was in His humanity at the time. He still hurt and He still bled and he still died. The same Spirit who was with Him, is the same Spirit that is in you. Being joyful is not easy to accomplish all the time but, if it provides you with God's strength, it is well worth reaching out for it.
Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.
Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
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