"The fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."
Galatians 5:22–23 (emphasis added)
Today I choose JOY! I receive JOY! I experience JOY!
For many years I struggled to experience the fruit of the Spirit, especially joy. I want joy, but little did I understand how to achieve it. Perhaps that was my biggest problem. I thought it was something I had to achieve, something I had yet to do that I wasn’t doing.
Gradually, I came to realize that joy has its source in gratitude. When I am truly grateful for someone or something, I have a deep sense of things being right and good, even adding value to my self-worth as a human being. There is a sense of peace and realization of a gift given, or affirming words spoken, or acts of service that speak to my heart, all beyond logic.
Yes, there is a feeling of JOY.
The greatest gift we can receive is the gift of eternal life from our Father, our Creator, the One who made me because He wanted to love me. He is the One who wants me to be with Him forever. It is the desire of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to be in close relationship with both you and with me for eternity. This concept requires my mind to stretch to receive that intention and to live in the knowledge of this truth, which is another source of JOY that fills my heart!
We will never know the joy of the Lord until we acknowledge our need of a Savior, and He is just that. He is our Redeemer; His love is undeniable. He gave His life so we could experience freedom from sin, shame, and guilt.
We learn to pray and offer up many requests and petitions, but do we believe? Do we receive? Remember, we must believe to receive. “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive“ (Matthew 21:22).
Do we give thanks for the marvels of God’s goodness and for the trials He allows us to go through (1 Thessalonians 5:18)? The joy of the Lord is not the joy that the world offers. The joy of the Lord is unspeakable and full of glory. Christ invites us to come to Him and be full of joy:
- “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your JOY may be full“ (John 16:24, emphasis added).
- “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1–2, emphasis added).
Call to Action
Believe the truth of God’s love for us. Receive it with JOY. Live in the light of His plan for our salvation — with JOY!
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
