HOW TO EXPERIENCE AND KEEP THE JOY OF THE LORD
Joy has little to do with our natural temperament or with our personal circumstances. It is the fruit of the Spirit. Because of this, when joy is not in a Christian’s heart, it is a symptom of some underlying spiritual problem. This fruit is not produced mechanically but is the result of a living relationship with the Lord. Unconfessed sin and grieving the Holy Spirit cause our joy to wither. The following are some ways to keep the joy of the Lord in your heart.
Remember your Savior and the salvation He provided for you. One of the ways that we can maintain our joy is to reflect often and meditate on our Savior and the changed life He has given us. “My soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in his salvation” (Psalm 35:9).
Study and meditate on the Word of God. If you are delighting in our Savior, He will give you a hunger to get to know Him better through the Bible. Jeremiah proclaims (15:16): “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.” In 1 John 1:4, the apostle shares one of the reasons he wrote his epistle, “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
Submit to the control of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 6:18 exhorts us to “be filled (or controlled) with the Spirit.” Some of the results of this filling (present tense, continuous action) are to be “singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for all things” (vv. 19-20).
Spend time in prayer with God. One of the greatest privileges we have as Christians is the ability to communicate with God 24/7. Here are just 2 of the amazing prayer promises: “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full” (John 16:24). David celebrates in Psalm 16:11, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Share your faith. There is no greater joy as a Christian that being used by God to share the Gospel, witness someone becoming a new creation in Christ, and participate in God changing the eternal destiny of a person from hell to Heaven. In Luke 15:7, we read that there is “more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous who need no repentance.”
Maintain an eternal perspective. The author of Hebrews talks about Jesus’ heavenly viewpoint in Hebrews 12:2 when he said, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 1 Peter 1:8 encourages first century Christians with these words: “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
To be marked by joy is to allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives. When we have genuine joy in the midst of trials and troubles, we declare to the world the unchanging and tangible goodness of our heavenly Father. When we meet challenges head-on with joy, we declare with our attitudes the hope we have for the age that is to come.
God wants His joy to be your strength today (Neh. 8:10). He wants to establish you in his steadfast joy. He longs to guide you to the tranquil waters and do a mighty work in your heart to increase your capacity for his joy. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” May you discover the powerful medicine of joy today!
