But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
I began writing this blog about a month ago (in 2018) and then became too busy to finish it. The week I had planned to work on it again was the same week my beloved seven-year-old Manx cat, Xander had to be euthanized. Therefore, I was unable to write about joy last week. Ironic, isn’t it? But it made me realize even more so how much joy is a choice in our lives. You may think that joy is not an active decision, but that one can only have joy when everything in life is going perfectly. Realistically, how often can we say there is nothing in our lives that causes stress? I am mostly a happy person, with a wonderful husband and a God who loves me, but there are often things cause frustration and, as with the recent loss, sadness.
Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
I would also reverse that and say that the strength of the Lord is my Joy! It is how I can keep a smile on my face. Yes, I can feel sorrow at the loss of my cat, but I can still feel happiness and peace when I lean on the love of the Lord.
I have been relying on the Truths of Isaiah 61:3, “To console those who mourn… To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." Notice here, that our joy glorifies that Lord!
When you read some of the below verses you will also see that simply having faith and persevering in the knowledge of God’s goodness will produce joy.
Like most people, I have had my share of heartache and hard times. There was a time in 2014 when I was so shattered that I could not pray. Let me rephrase that, I would not pray. I was so angry and confused with God that there was no way I could consider praising to lift my heaviness. So, I know some of you are thinking that I am being too simplistic and unrealistic in expecting you to praise or sing when you are feeling wounded. It got to the point where my soul thirsted for the Lord and I could not stay silent. I missed my Heavenly Father, I knew He did not cause the harmful situation, and He wanted to comfort His child. I started small with simply saying, “Thank you,” at the end of each day for all I still had, especially my husband. My prayers slowly grew longer until I was back to being my usually chatty self with the Lord. I was eventually even able to sing praises again without feeling like I was going through the motions. It took at least six months for me to go through the process, but when I chose to pursue joy and release my anger and bitterness, I began to heal.
I have read possibly thousands (maybe hundreds, but a lot) of books in my life, and it is difficult to choose a favorite, yet I can say that next to the Bible, the book that touched me the most has been Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. If you have never read it, I highly encourage you to do so. My husband and I read it together and we both were very moved by the story. Much Afraid’s journey reminded me so much of myself in allowing bitterness and resentment to bully me to the point where I was hindered by going to the High Places with the Good Shepherd. Had I been a character in that book I would have been called Walks by Sight (or Much Too Logical). I have learned (am still learning) to become Acceptance with Joy as I can see that Sorrow and Suffering have been my companions for a specific purpose. I may never fully understand why. However, I can accept the hard times by remembering God only wants the best for His children, and He does not cause bad things to happen (See Jeremiah 29:11). He can use the hurts of our past to make us become better people if we allow Him to. That is, when we chose joy.
Here are some more scriptures on joy:
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:10-17
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:7-10
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. I Peter 1:7-9
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