Let us not even talk about the mess the world is in; let's just focus on the good Lord and His blessings and His Holy Word, and how He gives believers His Holy Spirit to enable them to endure any trials and hardships that come their way. We need to be strong in these troublesome times, these last days we find ourselves living in now.
One Scripture that comes to mind is Nehemiah 8:10, quoted here:
"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
How do we get this "joy of the Lord" ? We will hasten this joy in our hearts by looking more to Jesus and less to ourselves. We must learn not to be so self-centered and self-absorbed, and instead focus on the good Lord and on serving others. If we have more thanksgiving in our hearts and minds when we come to the Lord in prayer, this joy will manifest itself. Keep in mind that we need to learn to rejoice in God/Jesus in order to be strong. Having pity-parties just will not produce strength or joy.
We need to simply pray and ask our heavenly Father for more joy. God will certainly answer that prayer as it is definitely a request that is within His will. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). If you are a true believer in the Lord, the Holy Spirit exists within you and will enable you to feel and express joy. You must be strong in your faith, because the devil and his demons will try to tear
you down and rip you apart and get you all depressed......negative thoughts are from the evil one. Positive and joyful thoughts are from the Lord. This reminds me of Philippians 4:8 which follows:
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. "
Your thought life has a tremendous influence on your life itself. Verse 9 of Philippians 4 tells us: "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do and the God of peace shall be with you." The combination of virtues listed in Philippians 4:8-9 is sure to produce a wholesome thought pattern, which in turn will result in a life of moral and spiritual excellence. It just stands to reason that if you are always thinking healthy, positive, and especially spiritual thoughts, that you will be more joyful and thereby reflect the spirit of our Lord.
Obviously, this means taking in much spiritual food - God's Holy Word - which will renew your mind (Romans 12:2). When you know the Lord intimately and realize that He loves you forever and will never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) that will definitely cause you to sing a happy tune in your heart. To get to know God/Jesus in a close, personal, and love relationship, you need to read the Bible and pray without ceasing. No relationship can exist without communication.
When you think about it, rejoicing in the Lord is our Christian duty. How can one be gloomy and depressed all the time and still be a good witness for the Lord? Impossible ! We need to reflect the joy and love of our Lord and Savior. After all, followers of Jesus should endeavor to imitate Him at all times.
So, rejoicing in the Lord is a source of strength. For strength there must be hope; for strength there must be joy. If you are sad and beaten down in your thought life, you will not be strong at anything. Sure, we all get sad at times and grieve at times, but if we have the Holy Spirit in us as true believers in Jesus Christ our Savior, we will not stay sad for long; it will not be a lifestyle for us.
All of the above applies to Christians. For only true believers in Jesus Christ have joy as a fruit of the Spirit; the Holy Spirit from above that indwells us when we become a follower of Jesus: the Holy Spirit which empowers us to serve the Lord with much love and joy. As I said earlier, joy is a fruit of the Spirit. To have the Holy Spirit within you and to thereby experience and express joy, a person needs to be born-again; to become a sincere believer in Jesus our Savior and to have faith in Him which leads to totally surrendering your will and your life to Him whereby you serve Him and obey Him.
Do not delay ! Your eternity is at stake ! Total surrender to the Lord, which comes after you repent and pray for forgiveness, will lead to you being full of the joy of the Lord, for you will then be filled with the Holy Spirit.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
All of the above applies to Christians. For only true believers in Jesus Christ have joy as a fruit of the Spirit; the Holy Spirit from above that indwells us when we become a follower of Jesus: the Holy Spirit which empowers us to serve the Lord with much love and joy. As I said earlier, joy is a fruit of the Spirit. To have the Holy Spirit within you and to thereby experience and express joy, a person needs to be born-again; to become a sincere believer in Jesus our Savior and to have faith in Him which leads to totally surrendering your will and your life to Him whereby you serve Him and obey Him.
Do not delay ! Your eternity is at stake ! Total surrender to the Lord, which comes after you repent and pray for forgiveness, will lead to you being full of the joy of the Lord, for you will then be filled with the Holy Spirit.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
God loves us and wants the best for us. His Word is our Instruction Manual for life; it is our Love Letter from Him as well. Scripture's great theme is Jesus.
"Fellowship with Christ is the fountain of joy." Charles Spurgeon.
Charles Spurgeon has also said, "Holy activity is the mother of Holy joy. .......Joy is to search the Scriptures diligently.........Jesus is a Christian's life, joy, and peace."
Have a joyful and Christ-centered weekend !
"But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: Let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee." - Psalm 5:11
