It is one of the most sought after things in the world and you can’t buy it in stores or online. What is it?…………….Joy. But how do you find joy and most importantly, how do you keep it?
[powerpress]
The Joy Of The Lord Is Your Strength
Nehemiah 8:10
Joy being an enduring satisfaction and gladness in heart and mind in God, in the NT particular in the person of Jesus Christ and his work in redemption and restoration of life.
The people in Nehemiah’s day needed to hear this, because, because of their sin, they had lost their land, many of their relatives and friends where in exile and slaves. And so when Ezra begins to read the law, they were convicted in heart, they mourned, they came to grips with their sin. But Ezra and the others told the people that today is not a day of grieving, but rejoicing in the Lord and that that joy in the Lord actually strengthens you.
And when I read this, I say yes, Ezra and Nehemiah, you got it right, the joy of the Lord does strengthen, when I am reflecting on Jesus, and where I used to be, when I reflect on how I use to act and the way I used to think compared to now, I rejoice in the Lord and am strengthened to keep on keeping. I find that when I am rejoicing in the Lord, I am quick to pray for a person, quick to share my faith. My joy in the Lord even affects how I treat my family. When my joy is full in the Lord, it elevates my love for my wife, kids, the love for my neighbor increases.
Yes Ezra and Nehemiah, you got it right. But what about those times when I am not rejoicing in the Lord, where is my strength?
My Confession-I have a confession, in my Christian walk, there are times when I am not rejoicing in the Lord, there are times when I am down, I used to think that something was wrong with me, I would question my salvation and my love for Jesus. I would see others rejoicing in the Lord but there would be no rejoicing in me. And I would say:
“Lord, do I not love you, I am hearing the same song but there is no rejoicing in me, I’m hearing the same sermon but there is no rejoicing in me”
But I found that I am not the only one that felt that way but that there were others and I am sure that some of you have felt this way.
There have even been great men of God in the scriptures that have had this issue.
-Take Timothy-II Timothy 1:6-8- In this letter, Paul had to remind Timothy to use his Gift and he also had to encourage him to not be afraid but when we are truly rejoicing in the Lord and find our joy in him, we are bolder and often overcome these problems that Timothy was facing.
For example, let’s contrast Timothy’s response to adversity to Peter and the apostles. In the book of Act (5:41), Peter and the Apostle got arrested for the name of Jesus and they were also beaten but look how they responded, the text said that they were rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus.
Take the Apostle Paul, Act 18:9– The Lord had to assure him that he would be okay and to not stop preaching, this is very similar to Paul’s encouragement of Timothy. So Paul and Timothy had to be strengthened, they were not always on, they were not always full of the joy of the Lord.
Why does this happen? Because it is a battle. Not to sound clichés but you have to “fight for your joy”. There are so no many “faux joy” temptations in this world.
I think about Paul’s letters to the churches and in some of those letters he describes people who have deserted the faith, for money, power, having love of this present world……I say those people were tricked, that thought that there was something better than God, their joy was not in him.
If I just get this house, If I just get this job, If I just get this marriage, If I just find this husband or wife, If I just lose these couple of pounds, then I will be happy, my joy will be full………Here’s the secret, you need the joy of the Lord to truly enjoy those things.
This is also spoken of in Jeremiah 2:13-God and broken cisterns.
Don’t get me wrong, to my brothers and sisters who are always on, always rejoicing, Amen but to others, I want you to know that there is hope.
Joy Stealers———But let’s get down to why we are not always rejoicing in the Joy of the Lord:
Sin— Sin weighs on your conscience
Psalm 51:12-After David had committed adultery and basically murder he came to repentance but his Joy in the Salvation of the Lord was gone. And that is what sins does, it robs you of your joy.
Some of you are struggling with your joy and are wondering why, my question to you is, is there habitual sin in your life, I am not talking about the slip ups that we have here and there but I am talking about habitual sin, something that you know is wrong but yet you keep doing it, harboring sin in your heart. If this is you, I pray that as David did, you turn away from it and ask the Lord for restoration.
Walking in the flesh and worldly living
Another reason why we don’t rejoice and find our Joy in the Lord is because we are walking in the flesh or living with a sense of worldliness.
Galatians 5:16
As a believer, if I am living according to my human nature- and taking my ques from the world, the way my nature tells me to do, behaving the way that my nature tells me to do, if I am living this way, I am not going to enjoy the things of God, I am not going to enjoy reading my bible, I am going to be bored at church, all of the Spiritual things that bring me closer to God, I am not going to want to do why, because the flesh does not enjoy the thing of the Spirit.
You cannot be a mass consumer of the ways of the world and things of the world and expect to be a spiritual person rejoicing in Christ. (1 John 2:15-17).
So how much are you into Pop culture? Do you know the status of every Kardashian? Are you in to all the latest TV shows? Men, we are not exempt, some men are just sports fanatics……you can’t consume all of this stuff and expect to be a spiritual person, rejoicing in God.
Trials of life
Jesus said that in this life you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world-(John 16:33),
We learned from Paul’s letter to Timothy, that living godly will bring persecution, so we are to go through trials.
“But it is how we look at our trials that will determine if there will be any rejoicing in God as we go through”.
James 1:2-4-Explain
Brothers and sisters I do not think that James statement here is just a new testament thing but that this is part of the “character” of God to allow his people to go through trials, to strengthen their faith (Romans 5:3-5), to make you complete.
Example
Take the Children of Israel for example, in 2 Chronicles 20, the men of Israel went out to battle but the Lord had demolished their enemy before they even got there, they did not have to lift a finger. And guess what, God could have always operated like this but He did not choose to do that,
“Sometimes they would have to actually go in and fight and see the Lord’s Glory from the battle ground and I believe that he did that because of scriptures like James, and Romans 5, where the tribulation were actually working to the good of the people”
Example: Look at Jesus – Hebrews 2:10 – It was fitting (right or proper) for God to make the author of our salvation perfect or complete through suffering.
So this should change our perspective on our trials to where we can continue to rejoice in God and find our joy in him……from the right perspective.
So where do we go from here, we see that Joy is essential to the Christian life and we have also looked at some of our joy stealers.
And let me make a point here, the reason I say Joy and not always the Joy of the Lord, is because, I am not sure if the world can even offer joy, so the Joy of the Lord is the only true joy.
CS Lewis said in his book Surprised by Joy:
“That I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are substitutes for joy”
See the world can offer pleasures but I am not sure if it can offer joy.
Pleasures are short lived; sin may feel good for a moment. For some getting drunk or high may feel good for a moment, the person committing adultery may have a thrill for a moment but it is short lived, it is not as enduring as joy.
So with our sex crazed society, people are seeking joy but all that you are finding is very short termed pleasure.
How do we increase our joy? I am in full agreement with John Piper that Joy comes from seeing and savoring God and the Gospel.
In the beginning I said that Joy being an enduring satisfaction and gladness in heart and mind in God, in the NT particular in the person of Jesus Christ and his work in redemption and restoration of life.
“In order for you to find your joy in Jesus, you have to be able to see Jesus for who he is and what he did”
Example
One day me and Pastor Brian were meeting up for lunch and he asked me how I am doing, and I told him that I just been staring at God and he gave me this funny look, and asked me what did I mean by that. I have just been meditating on the goodness of God, who he is, Jesus ruling right now and I just in awe by it.
This is what I believe that David meant in Psalms 27:4
Where he desired to dwell in the house of the Lord forever to behold his beauty.
To behold – To see, perceive – In Hebrew word Chazah (KHAW-ZAW) is used here.
Strong’s definition it means to gaze, mentally to perceive, contemplate with pleasure.
There are times when I am in prayer or studying scripture and God is opening my eyes to see and I just want to say there forever, but I have to take Serenity to school or I have to get to work, but I just want to stay there rejoicing in what I am seeing, I want time to stop.
So the joy begins in the seeing Jesus for who he is………Look what happen when Peter sees Jesus for who he truly is, he forsakes all. Look what happen when Paul gets exposed to the Glory of God and his majesty………he spends his life as a missionary.
“But in these events, it was the sovereign work of God in opening the eyes of the individuals to see him properly. If God does not open, they will not see”
And this is why I believe that Paul encourages and prays that the Ephesians and the Colossians increase in the knowledge and Understanding of God.
Ephesians 1:17-18-Read
Colossians 1:9-10
“He tells them to pray for this understanding and knowledge of God meaning that it is outside of their will and that it is going to take the power of God is increase their understanding and knowledge of him”
“And as this knowledge and understanding increase God becomes more beautiful to us, more desirable in us, thus increasing our Joy in him”
-But some say Brother Jerome, I am doing that, I am praying, I am reading the bible but I not see the glory.
Let’s look at Jesus response in Luke 11 to find our answers,
Jesus said to seek, and he said to knock and the door will be opened. Our responsibility as believers is to knock or seek, and we do this through praying, we do this through study our scriptures and fasting and fellowship, that is us knocking and seeking to know him but ultimately, God is responsible for determining when he will be found, when he will open that door. For some, when it comes to conversion, they just did one knock, they were in a church, heard he gospel and were changed. Others, may be heard a ton of sermons, went to a ton of conferences, read a ton of books, they knocked, they knocked and eventually that door opened.
So what am I saying, you keep praying, asking God to open your eyes to see his glory, that your rejoicing may be in him, you keep studying the scriptures and asking God to reveal his glory, you keep knocking, you keep seeking and you don’t stop until you rejoice in glory.
Practical things,
When you are down, preach to yourself the promises of God, and preach to yourself the good news, over and over again.
My example – The other day I was a little down but by God’s grace I had a 3 hour road trip for work ahead of me. So on that entire three hours, I did not listen to music but just kept on preaching the gospel to myself,
Saying “Jerome, It pleased God to reveal his son in you. Jerome, God thought that it was good to reveal his hidden wisdom to you. Jerome, the proof of God’s love for you is in the cross and the blood of Jesus. Jerome, God is a Good father, and God’s love for you is a zillion times greater than the love you have for Serenity, Rylee, Nehemiah and your wife”.
I preached to myself the good news so that my rejoicing may be full and in God.
So preach to yourself, cut your Christian music on and sing unto the Lord when you are down, you keep seeking, you keep knocking, and the door will open because the Joy of the Lord is your strength.
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Follow Us!