If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:10-11.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
The sanctified life is one of joy, pure, perfect joy.
Today I want to talk about the power of joy. Joy makes you strong.
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10.
There are many times in My Word I tell you to keep yourself in joy. I tell you to rejoice always. I tell you a cheerful heart is a good medicine. I tell that My joy is your strength.
Listen then, you know that if I mention it so often that it must be very important.
People understand that joy is important. You can ask anyone if they want to be happy and they will answer that they do want that. I know that no one really wants to be unhappy.
Life is wonderful when you are filled with joy, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones. Good news invigorates the bones. A joyful person is an energetic person. A joyful person is an excited person–a person that looks forward to the future. A person who has hope–a confident expectation of good.
Well, if you need joy in order to be strong, and since I command you to rejoice with no exceptions, you know I will tell you how to do this.
You see joy is not automatic, though it may be at times, but a continuous joy is not. It is a choice. It is a lifestyle. It is a mode of thinking and of operating. But first let Me explain the basic foundation of a life filled with and sustained by joy.
Where do you find joy? In My Word I tell you that you find fullness of joy in My Presence, the delights at My right hand forever. You will never know true joy—complete, full joy– until you are aware of My loving, protecting, sweet presence. And the good news is, you can be in My presence twenty four hours a day seven days a week for all of your life and then through all of eternity. I will NEVER leave you or forsake you. I am with you always.
You see joy comes from love. Receiving and giving love. And I am the source of love and I am Love itself. Anything apart from Me is the absence of love, which is the opposite of love, which is hate. That is why in My Presence you find fullness of joy. It is because there is fullness of love. Love without limits is My Covenant with you.
And what is My presence? It is the manifestation of My glory (My goodness and power) in your life, in your heart. It is the anointing. My love poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit– which I pour into your heart when you open your heart to My Son as your Lord and Savior.
The Israelites saw My glory in a cloud and a pillar of fire that led them through the desert and shielded them from all their enemies and from the dangers of the desert. It was My Presence dwelling with them. And they did not want to take a move without Me there. Then it was not like now though, I dwelt among them but not in them. Now My Spirit can dwell in every born again believer. So you are much closer to Me than they were. We are one in spirit now.
And how can you have this joy? True joy requires three factors: faith, hope and love. Faith, hope and love produce JOY! In order to have joy you need to know that you have a good future filled with what you hope for. You need to know you are loved and accepted. You need to know Me and that My promises are for you and are sure. And you need to be expecting Me to fill your life with good things.
And when you have these three factors present, you build on them to complete joy. Complete joy comes from keeping My Word and keeping My Word leads you to losing your selfishness in loving and serving others. Through dying to yourself so that you are no longer trapped in thinking only of yourself and your emotions and what you can get for yourself out of life. It is living on a higher plane where you find yourself by losing your selfish pride, offense, fear, and bitterness. Perfect love casts out all fear.
And why do I tell you that I have told you My Words and commands? So that you can share My joy and your own joy will be complete. John 15:11. This is the whole reason for the Bible– for your joy once you know and do all the things therein. Happy the one who understands and keeps My Words. They have the Light of Life. Their joy is not shaken by circumstances for they know a higher law by faith. There is great reward in keeping My Words.
And the final determination of whether you stay in joy is yours. To stay in joy is a choice. To rejoice requires you to control your thoughts and words, to put down fear and doubt. Expect the best and deal with the rest by faith. Anticipate blessings every day.
Rejoice because you have the greater one in you. Whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven and whatever you bind is bound. Matthew 18:18. Bind and shut down the devil in Jesus’ Name whenever he gets active and do not let it move you out of your joy.
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22. So the more you live and walk in the Spirit, the more joy you will have in you. That is why My servant Paul under the inspiration of My Spirit writes that you should sing and pray in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:29; Colossians 3:16. It is the reason he tells you that you should all pray in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:5. This builds up your spirit so that more fruit will be produced in you. 1 Corinthians 14:4. The anointing destroys yokes and removes burdens.
Whenever you find yourself slipping into anxiety, fear, depression or hopelessness, you must get back in joy, for it is your strength. My Kingdom is a kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. So first you must get in My presence as quickly as possible and you do this by thanksgiving, praise and worship, try singing in the spirit and giving a joyful shout! And once you are in My presence there is fullness of joy that you can reach out and take. Then you must speak My Word to encourage yourself. Prophesy good things over your life by quoting My Word about you. Build yourself up in faith by speaking and hearing what good plans I have prepared for you to walk in. Jeremiah 33:3; Ephesians 2:10. And rebuke and bind the depression, the fear, the pain. Let yourself speak, sing and pray in tongues more often. It builds up your spirit and makes you strong. It gives you refreshment.
And as you do this My glory will manifest more and more, and you will be aware of My presence. For where My Spirit is there is freedom. And as you contemplate My glory, you are transformed into My image with ever-increasing glory. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18. And I am filled with joy.
Come share your Master’s joy, good and faithful servant.
I love you. Rejoice!