January 21, 2024
“A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (NASB)
“And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b (ESV)
“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 (NRSV)
“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 (ESV)
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalms 16:11 (ESV)
Have you had the pleasure of meeting people who seem to always have the Joy of the Lord? Every time you see them or when they walk in the room, the atmosphere changes and no matter what is going on in their lives they always seem to have a positive attitude and a wonderful countenance. The kind of people who are just nice to be around, right? What brings you true Joy and a sense of satisfaction in your spiritual journey, and how do you successfully incorporate these sources of Joy into your daily life to develop a joyous heart?”
I seem to always be confessing; however, here goes! I was complaining earlier this week about a situation (although at the moment I felt it was justified) and as Christians, you know how the Holy Spirit can quickly convict us, well I was convicted! Not only are we convicted, but God will also remind us through His Word, what we should be doing and how to respond to the craziness of life and have Joy in the midst of it!
Yes “confession is good for the soul” and it actually does have some biblical basis. James 5:16 says “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”(ESV). It is also attributed to an old Scottish proverb that refers to the idea of coming clean with sins and shortcomings that may weigh heavily on one’s heart to feel better and obtain peace. Confession also has some essential dynamics to engage to be healed, obtain peace of mind, experience wholeness, and most importantly our fellowship with Christ.
The study of the Joyous Heart has been a rich study specifically how a Joyous Heart is healing to the physical body! Proverbs 17:22 says “A
joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (NASB) Basically, our inner life affects our physical well-being. The word for medicine occurs only here in the Old Testament. A cheerful heart translates two Hebrew words that are rendered “a happy heart” in Proverbs 15:13. A crushed spirit refers to being depressed or saddened, as noted in Proverbs 18:14. Interestingly, it has been documented that a person suffering from a physical ailment or pain but who is filled with Joy will survive much better than a discouraged person with the same condition. Joy can even make a person forget their pain and limitations. In fact, it is better to have Joy in suffering than despair in ease and luxury.
Joy is a tremendous source of strength. One of the reasons I love the Word of God, it always provides clear, specific, and directive solutions to what we are dealing with in this life. We can stand on God’s promises and His blessings remembering that His blessings are contingent on our obedience.
So, What is the Joy of the Lord?
The Joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing Jesus as personal Lord and Savior, abiding in Him, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Joy of the Lord is literally, the “fruit of the Spirit” which happens when the Holy Spirit indwells a Believer in Christ. The “fruit” is the product of the Holy Spirit’s cultivation of our character in the heart. Galatians 5:22-23 describes what that fruit looks like; the second characteristic listed is Joy. A heart that is overflowing with Joy, and thankfulness to God usually signals a Believer in Christ who is filled with the Holy Spirit!
The Greek word for “Joy” is chara. Joy is the natural reaction to the work of God, whether promised or fulfilled. Joy expresses God’s kingdom and His influence on earth. The Spirit’s production of Joy can manifest in several different ways because Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit. As Believers in Christ, we must rejoice in the Lord as noted in Philippians 3:1; 4:4; 1 and Thessalonians 5:16. In 1 Peter 1:8 the Believer in Christ, is “filled with an inexpressible and glorious Joy”
The Joy of the Lord may be strange to the ones who do not possess it. But, for the Believer in Christ, the Christian, the Joy of the Lord comes as naturally as grapes on a vine. As we abide in Christ, the True Vine, we, the branches, are full of His strength and vitality, and the fruit we produce, including Joy, is His doing. John 15:5 says “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (NASB)
Scripture provides many verses that speak to the Joy that God provides His people. However, as God provides a person’s source of joy and strength, they can be even-keeled, steady, and constant, just as our God is constant.
Joy Comes From Having The Holy Spirit
The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control; we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help. If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our life to His life. John 15:4 says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (NASB)
Which of these qualities do you want the Spirit to produce in you? We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law to love God and our neighbors. Philippians 4:4 says “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice!”
Ultimate Joy comes from Christ’s Spirit dwelling within us. Christ is near, and at His second coming we will fully realize this ultimate Joy. He who lives within us will fulfill His final purposes for us. Galatians 5:16 reminds us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we “walk by the Spirit” and are “led by the Spirit” in Galatians 5:18, and we “live by the Spirit,” and “keep in step with the Spirit” in Galatians 5:25.
Joy Comes From Being In The Presence of God
The Psalmist David’s heart was glad he had found the secret to Joy. In Psalm 16:11 David speaks of a Joy that only the righteous can know. True Joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel Joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us. It is a Joy that is but a preview of a far greater and everlasting Joy when we see the Lord’s face in the glory to come.
Often there are Christians who may seem gloomy and dejected because they lack this sense of God’s presence. The fellowship is sweet for those who walk with the Lord in obedience and faith. But the sweet fellowship that comes from obedience and trust in the Lord is not a passing feeling. It sustains us, especially during trials. The prophet reminds us that “The joy of the Lord shall be your strength” Nehemiah 8:10!
The Lord’s brother, James, writes, in James 1:2 which says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” You may be thinking, “Give me a break. Does James really think trials are joyful?” Yes, that is exactly what he wrote. Now he didn’t say, “Consider yourself lucky, or hey, don’t trials make you happy?” He wrote, “Consider it all joy.” There is a difference. James makes us aware that trials produce faith and develop perseverance. When we persevere through trials, proving to ourselves and to others that our faith is real, our sense of God’s presence increases, as does our Joy.
Dr. Larry Crabb wrote in his book, Shattered Dreams, “People who insist on happiness never find Joy.” Happiness is a result of favorable circumstances and is transient in nature, but joy remains, even during unfavorable circumstances. Joy is a calmness that runs beneath life’s storms, it is a delight that stills the heart and anchors the soul.
Joy Grows Out of Real Worship
Worship involves both celebration and confession. The God of the Bible encourages Joy! God does not intend for our faith to be only meditation and introspection. He also wants us to celebrate. Serious reflection and immediate confession of sin are also essential. But these should be balanced by celebrating who God is and what He has done for His people.
The Joy of true worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how their worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth as noted in John 4:24. This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. The Joy of true worship can include praying, reading God’s Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place.
David says in Psalm 16:8-9, “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with Joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety.”
HEART 
CHALLENGE: We can be joyful in spite of our circumstances. I love the writings of the Apostle Paul. He is sitting in jail writing a letter to the church at Philippi telling them to rejoice. But He is saying to them that their inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of Joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him. Several times in this letter, Paul urged the Philippians to be joyful, probably because they needed to hear this. It’s easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. If you haven’t been joyful lately, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective or releasing old issues of life, or dwelling on and holding people hostage to their past, or simply not letting the past remain in the past and bast in the Joy of the Lord.
A JOYFUL
HEART: A heart filled with the Holy Spirit daily by yielding their will to God in submission and obedience to His Word is a joyful heart. There is no special formula other than to allow Him to fill you and control every part of your life, your thoughts, emotions, body, and actions. Only as we submit to Him and are filled with the Holy Spirit can we experience a harmonious relationship with God and one another with Joy!
FATHER GOD, Thank You for Your Word that provides us with clear instructions on how we can experience true Joy. Help us not to forget that temporary happiness is not Joy! Help us to remember that knowing Jesus is good news and it is a gospel of Joy. Thank you for the precious gift of Joy, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen.
“If we look for ways to get rid of necessary pain, we’ll be disillusioned or misled. For people who define real change as the elimination of inevitable struggle, the final chapters will be terribly disappointing.” — Larry Crabb
References: Logos Bible Study