FULL JOY!

It fills you up like an overflowing river. It never stops flowing the moment you realize it’s there. You can’t touch or see it, nor can you smell it, but oh can you feel it. It has a bubbly effect and is highly contagious, joy!

Joy has that effect on everyone that you come across. You may not see the effect that it has on people initially, but you will see it linger and its phenomenal reflections sooner or later. Joy can literally change your life to the most incredible one. Once joy has come into your life there is no telling what can happen to you with the supernatural power of God. We tend to believe that joy is an after effect or the outcome of a happy occasion, or the aftermath of good news. We all have experienced wonderful celebrations and glorious occasions. And we all have been filled with excitement and happiness. But we must not confuse happiness with joy.

Happiness is a mental or emotional state of wellbeing defined by positive or pleasures ranging from contentment to intense joy. You see happiness leads up to joy. Happiness is a mental or emotional state. Joy is the epitome of happiness. Happiness comes by circumstances and elevations in our lives which is wonderful but happiness doesn’t last, it will soon fade or disintegrate. Our circumstances never last, good or bad. Therefore, happiness must reside but joy is a whole different avenue.

Joy is a lingering effect that never leaves you. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit. There are nine fruit of the Spirit and joy is one of them. The fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics of Jesus Christ, God’s own nature. Joy is a splendid thing to have. Once you have become saved and a born-again Christian, this unspeakable joy is given to you by the Holy Spirit, Christ in you and the hope of glory. Joy lives inside of you. Happiness comes upon you. Happiness comes upon you when something goes well and it has an explosive effect to the mind and it never last. Joy has a calm, peaceful and tranquil effect on the whole being.

I love joy so deeply because you can feel blue or have a little melancholy and joy will erupt like a volcano and its liquid fire seems to burn away all sadness, doubt, hurt, and any questions that you thought you may have concerning the uncertainties of your life. When joy erupts, its as though you never had any problems or concerns. Somehow you know everything is going to be alright. This joy lives on the inside of you. It’s the joy of the Lord! Its not your joy, its Jesus joy. As we stated earlier, happiness can lead to joy, but this type of joy will dissipate. The world’s joy is different from the joy of a Christian. The world can take away the joy it gives to you.

Sally Sue was just promoted to a top-level job. She had been waiting for a very long time for this position. Sally Sue did research, studied after hours, and worked in the library many nights until the library was closed. She sought the public library because of the solitude and academic surroundings. She needed it. After Sally Sue’s studying was completed, she immediately applied all that she had for that great position for a promotion that she had been waiting for. She was hired for her perseverance and knowledge. Sally was thrilled with happiness and joy. She soon will begin her new position at the beginning of the new week. Sally Sue celebrated the occasion with her friends and family. That Monday morning, the overseer called Sally Sue into the office only to announce that there had been a mistake in the enrollment of her position. Indeed it was another Sally, not Sally Sue. Sally Sue took the news very graciously, but she was devastated inside and all of her joy and happiness left immediately. Sally Sue regained her confidence quickly because there was another joy inside of her that never left her. This was the joy of the Lord. This joy never leaves you. When you are feeling down and blue, or you feel there is no hope for you, to the point of no return, the joy of the Lord will erupt up like a fiery volcano every time!

When you feel at your lowest and you have completely given up, this is when Jesus will say, “now I can take over and let me do the driving and I will take you exactly where you need to go.” So move over and let the Lord take over the wheel. Jesus always knows where to go.

The joy of the Lord is one of the most precious things in the body of Christ. We may not rely on joy, but joy relies on us. Joy resides in the most inner-parts of a Christian man (mankind). Joy is a magnificent thing to possess. As Christians, we may not see it but it’s there. We may not always feel joy but it’s there. Joy waits for the most vulnerable and weakest time in our lives only to resurrect at the most convenient and appropriate occasions. When joy resurrects in your life, it doesn’t give you a wonderful feeling. Its main cause is to be fruitful. After all it is the fruit of the Spirit. This joy of the Lord will cause you to expand your knowledge and give you wisdom and always give you victory in every area because it is the joy of the Lord.

You see, beloved, the Lord’s joy is a great mystery to the world. Perseverance and longevity pays off with work and the joy of that thing is minimal. This doesn’t mean that you don’t work hard and be diligent. Perseverance is good, but life can take a turn for the worse, like Sally Sue. With the church there is no works or studying at the library all night, like Sally Sue, but God’s favor and grace. You have the victory church!

Sally Sue was called back into the office the next day only to be offered a position on the board of directors with increasing pay and a lifetime position. Sally Sue went from an office position to helping run an enterprise. Sally Sue relied on the joy of the Lord, even when she did not get the first job position. She knew that God had a greater plan for her life. We, too, must also never rely on what we see. We must rely on the things we don’t see. They are eternal, like full joy! Amen.

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II CORINTHIANS 4:18).

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (JOHN 15:11).

“ And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves” (JOHN 17:13).

Glory be to God,

Helen Trower