Joy of the Lord

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”
John 16:22-24 NLT

We need to start with a definition of joy. Most people use it as a synonym for happiness but there is a difference. Both joy and happiness are emotional experiences, but it is the root of this experience, the context of where it comes from, that matters. Jesus wasn’t referring to a source of happiness that comes from a pleasurable activity. He was referring to a joy that comes from the relationship the disciples had with Himself and their Heavenly Father. And such a relationship produces a joy that is impervious to the trials and sorrows we experience in this world. The Psalmist, David, wrote, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (Psalm 16:11).

Jesus referred to “abundant joy” in our verses today. John 10:10 reads, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly“. The word “abundant”, describing joy and life, truly describes a counter-cultural experience far beyond anything our secular world can find. A joy that even in some way is detached from society around us. A joy that never left the early Christians as they faced martyrdom in the Roman amphitheaters, prisons and on crosses of torture. A joy that even today seems to elevate us pilgrims above the trials and tribulations of life. A joy that James wrote about in James 1:2, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy”. Paul also wrote about this joy in Romans 5:3, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”

What is there that could rob us pilgrims of this joy, the abundant joy experienced by those early Christians, and available to all believers everywhere? Our enemy the devil will soon put his finger on any weak point that would bring us down. But even though he is still the god of this world, he was defeated by Jesus Christ at Calvary. The devil’s days are numbered and one day he will find himself in a place of total darkness, created for him and his demonic angels. But in the meantime, we remember the words of Paul about Jesus, “In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:15).

We pilgrims are living in the light of Jesus’ victory. Through Him we continue to live a life of joy, and one day our joy will be complete in Jesus’ presence. And we remember the words in Nehemiah 8:10b, “ … Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your sacrifice at Calvary, giving us the opportunity to live a life of joy. Amen.

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“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Romans 12:6-8 NLT

The next item on Paul’s list of God’s motivational gifts is encouragement. I think we can all agree, in these dark days of high energy and food costs, with inflationary pressures consuming our resources, with our health service under unprecedented strain, with wars and dire warnings about the effects of climate change, that we need encouragement. And lots of it. One thing is for sure – we will get very little in the way of encouragement from the media outlets. Or our politicians. Or the society around us. It seems that discouragement is the dominant force, sapping our motivation, and spawning the feeling, “what’s the point”. In my rambles in the community, I meet some very discouraged people. People who respond to “It’s a nice morning today”, with “Aye, but it will probably rain later”. People who always view a glass of water as being half empty. People who seem to thrive on having a good moan.

We pilgrims are of a different spirit, however. We are infused with the joy of the Lord. That doesn’t mean we go through life with a silly grin on our faces regardless of the circumstances. It means that, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, we have a different perspective, resourced with the riches of Heaven. Within us is an inner strength, fuelled by the certainty that one day we will be in an environment where the worldly negatives and discouragements will no longer be found.

In Nehemiah 8 we read about the time when the people of Israel asked Ezra the Scribe to read to them from the Book of the Law. The leaders explained what it all meant and we read in Nehemiah 8:9-10, “Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength””. At a time of national challenge, as a remnant of the Jews who had returned after being exiled, they suddenly found that, although their circumstances didn’t change, their perspective did because of the “joy of the Lord”. They found great encouragement through the Word of God and their leaders who explained what it all meant.

In our fellowships, our communities, our families, and even in our workplaces or schools, there may be no-one available to share a kind word, or some encouragement, to counter the debilitating effects of rampant discouragements, except us. And God has provided just what we need. A Gift of Encouragement. Let’s use it wisely and effectively, as our lights shine like beacons in this lost world. If we pilgrims can’t display “the joy of the Lord” and encourage those around us, who will?

Dear God. You have put within us a deep-seated and immovable joy. Thank You! Amen.

Robbing the Joy

Encouraging Others