He Brings Joy

What a wonderful God we serve!

Photo by Blake Cheek on Unsplash

It is easy for us to confuse joy with happiness. We often think the two are synonymous, but they really aren’t. Here’s the difference: happiness is a temporary emotion, but joy is an everlasting attitude given by God.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). Like the rest of the fruits of the Spirit, we produce joy when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, enabling us to do good works instead of the works of the flesh.

It is interesting to note where that joy comes from. 1 Peter 1:8-9 says this:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (ESV)

When you believe in Jesus Christ and receive His free gift of Salvation, He fills your heart with an amazing joy that only those who have been saved can know! In fact, this joy is so powerful that it enables us to remain joyful even when things seem to be just terrible.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Wait a second. Trials? I’m supposed to have joy when I meet trials? Is James crazy?

Nope! In fact, we see examples of this played out throughout the book of Acts!

For example, when the apostles were beaten because they proclaimed the Gospel, this was their response:

“Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” (Acts 5:41)

And when Paul and Silas were beaten and locked up in prison unlawfully, they chose to joyfully praise God despite their circumstances:

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,” (Acts 16:25)

Here’s the thing, our joy is not only a gift from God, but also a witness to the people we meet everyday. When they ask how we can be joyful when such-and-such is going on, we can simply point to Jesus.

Joy is not temporal like happiness, but rather an eternal attitude that points to God! Let us then walk with joy, giving God honor and glory through the way we meet every situation.

Let’s Pray:

Jesus,

You give me a reason to be joyful even when things aren’t going my way. I praise You and thank You for that! Help me to walk with joy, bringing honor and glory to You through my actions in both the good times and the bad.

In Your precious and holy Name I pray,

Amen

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