The joy of God can never be described as happiness, or only ever attributed to positive happenings, or circumstances that please us. Thank God for all His blessings and favour on our lives. Indeed!…..1 Timothy 6: 17 reminds us not to be high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but to trust in God “…who gives us richly all things to enjoy” This is our Heavenly Father’s heart.
The joy of the Lord does not depend on what I judge as positive in my daily walk, it is independent of circumstances because they are not the source of it. The things that happen in my life are not necessarily according to my desires. The question to ask myself is: “Where does the source of my joy lie?” Is it in positive happenings, or do I recognise the source of the joy of God can only be found in His Son, Jesus Christ, when I make Him Lord of my circumstances and the King of my heart?
If I focus on the worries and cares of this life, they will choke the word of God in my life, (parable of the Sower, Matthew 13). My focus needs to be on the Lord Jesus and allow Him to be Lord of all, including everything that troubles me.
Jesus demonstrated that His joy came from doing exactly what His Father sent Him to do. He surrendered His will in exchange for His Father’s. He left the glories of heaven and came to earth as the Son of man, facing every temptation but never succumbing to them. His agonies in Gethsemane were because He knew what He was about to face. They were finally settled there when He chose surrender: “…..nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done”, (Luke 22:42). Jesus chose to die in obedience to His Father’s will and plan of salvation for mankind.
Hebrews 12:2 – speaking of Jesus “…..for the joy set before Him, endured the cross” His joy was certainly not in the circumstance of the cruel death He faced, but in doing His Father’s will……and so it is for us. There are times of testing when the Lord requires of us to surrender our will to Him and endure certain circumstances……for the joy set before us of choosing the Father’s will. Even in our darkest valleys we can fellowship with the Lord and find He can impart His joy to us, enabling us to endure in His strength. Nehemiah discovered in his testing that “…the joy of the Lord is your strength”, Nehemiah 8: 10. Sometimes there is an enduring in our circumstances for the joy set before us. The joy is experienced in doing the Father’s will in daily fellowship with Him.
John 15 describes Jesus as the true Vine. We are the branches and as we remain in Him, we will bring forth fruit to His glory. In verse 11 Jesus teaches: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” My security and joy can only be found as I ABIDE in Jesus, the Vine, as He instructed. I have responsibility for my choices each day and am the gatekeeper of my heart. Here is where I allow Him to rule as I abdicate self rule, and abide in the Vine.
The peace of God is not neccessarily related to everything going well, it is related to doing God’s will in surrendering mine, staying on track in the testing related to Jesus fulfilling His joy in me. Philippians 1:21 “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain” (i.e. dying to self). As I die, He lives…..Christ lives in me! Oh the joy of this position, the true joy of God! I can make His joy my joy by surrender. With this Joy, we face realities in God, ever advancing in the knowledge of who God really is, becoming totally confident that in His strength we can deal correctly with every situation He permits. Our Heavenly Father is for us, loves us profoundly, is our ever present help and desires that we learn to live in daily fellowship with Him, carriers of His joy and peace. Only when we have the right relationship with God in surrender will we be a channel of His joy, drinking from His fountain, unconsciously living joyously in the flow, sharing with a needy world.
We are all given divine opportunities to make His joy, our joy.
