The word joy is mentioned all through out the Bible, in both the old and new testaments. Scripture teaches that the Lord is full of joy, and He’s the one who gives His children their joy. Jesus told us that He wants us to be filled with His joy! (John 15:11) Both Acts 13:52 and Galatians 5:22, teach that the Holy Spirit produces joy in the lives of believers.
Of course we experience sadness in our lives. We mourn and we cry. But because of Jesus, joy comes in the morning! (Psalm 30:5) We can go to God when we have no joy in ourselves and find that His joy is our strength. Our heart can rest in the certainty that God is full of joy even when our experiences are full of clouds and darkness. As Christians, we are confident that Christ defeated the grave! This is all believers need to sustain our joy while we eagerly wait for Christ to fulfill His promise to return for His bride, and defeat Satan once and for all! There’s nothing more powerful than that! And what joy it brings!
You see, we have an outlet from all the pressure and stress that’s bearing down on us. We can renew our joy by spending time with the Lord, praying and reading His word. (Psalms 119:143)
Angels told the shepherds about the birth of Jesus, declaring they had news that would bring great joy. (Luke 2:10) After the shepherds saw Christ, verse 17 tells us they went and told everyone about it! That’s what the joy of Christ does for the believer! It’s too powerful! We can’t contain it. We have to share with others. The joy of the Lord is our strength!
I pray that you and your family will trust God, make wise choices, and that you’ll have the opportunity to tell somebody about Jesus, the only One who has the power to save and to give joy, even during in these times.
Faithfully serving Him,
Bart