Finding Joy Everyday
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9
Joy can be described as an emotion that’s acquired by the anticipation, acquisition or even the expectation of something great or wonderful. By this definition, temporary joy may come from the world. It may come from the anticipation of buying a new house, or a new car, or graduating from college. The problem with worldly joy is that it is temporary, meaning we have to continually search the world to find it. God wants us to experience joy independently of our worldly situation. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) What is our part in being filled with all joy?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Receiving the Holy Spirit who lives in the believer and brings eternal joy, is necessary for obtaining permanent joy. This joy is within us forever! We need to learn how to access this joy and let it fill our souls.
Accessing joy from the Spirit comes from the process of learning how to live by the Spirit. This process comes as God changes our hearts to the heart of Jesus. This means the Joy from the Lord increases in our soul until our last breath. The more we walk with the Lord the more spiritually minded we become and the more thankful we have an eternal home in heaven with our Lord. The joy of our eternal home never leaves us, but we also have joy because the Lord promises to protect our souls from the evil one and lead us through life to our heavenly home. This fills our heart with thankfulness, and without a thankful heart to the Lord, we cannot experience this joy. Praising and thanking our Lord triggers the joy in our heart and the more we thank and praise the Lord, the more joy we experience. Living each day with joy is living with a thankful heart to the Lord.
In addition to experiencing more joy, we also experience more of the fruit of the Spirit; love, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. As the fruit of the Spirit increases in our hearts it supports the eternal joy, even when the world brings us hurt and pain. When this happens we run to the Lord for strength, and he increases the fruit of the Spirit in us in order to sustain us through our hard times. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) The more we seek the Lord, the closer he is to us, and the more his strength fills us.
Today tell yourself that you will walk with joy, with a thankful heart, and nothing or nobody will be able to steal your joy. This is taking control and walking in the power of the Lord. Let God control you with peace, and joy, and don’t let Satan take control with fear, anger, or any sinful temptations. Today walk in the freedom and overcome the world through the power of our Lord.
Prayer: Lord thank you for filling my heart with joy. This joy comes from a thankful heart for my salvation and for the Spirit guiding me through life to my heavenly home. Lord, keep filling my heart with thankfulness and love that drives me to serve you by being a light for Christ in this sinful world. Thank you Lord, for love and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.