The Power of Joy Part 1
Scripture: Proverbs 13:22; 15:13; 17:22; First Thessalonians 1:6
The title of my message this morning is “The Power of Joy.” It was my desire to cover the topic in one message but there is too much information for me to cover in just one message so we will see how it goes. Three weeks ago during my morning time with my heavenly Father, the Spirit of God spoke to my heart about joy – what it is; what it means; and most important, it’s power. I want to share with you what was shared with me and I hope that, if you are not feeling any joy right now, you will walk away from this message knowing that joy is available to you and is actually within you because who you are – a child of God – even if you do not see its manifestation currently.
If you are like me you watched the Super Bowl game two weeks ago. During the game, they revealed the “new” commercials that are prepared especially to be released during the game. There was only one commercial that fully caught my attention and it had absolutely nothing to do with the product sold by the sponsor of the commercial. The sponsor of the commercial sold alcoholic beverage for a drink which I do not consume. However, when I saw this commercial, I rewound the playback and put on close caption so I could verify what I thought I had heard. As I listened to it again, the Spirit confirmed some things He had already shown me when I was preparing this message. Here is what the commercial shared with us: “What if we were wrong this whole time? Wrong in thinking that joy only happens at the end. After the sacrifice; after the commitment; after the win. What if happiness had always been there, fueling the run towards greatness? It’s not a distraction, but instead something more vital. What if joy is the whole game and not just the end game? So ask yourself, are you happy because you win, or do you win because you’re happy?” I can confirm to you that this commercial was spot on from a Scriptural viewpoint as it relates to joy. I wish they had just used the word “joy” the whole time versus substituting happiness, but they did not ask my opinion. While this commercial was talking about sports, I want you to translate it to life itself.
Let me rephrase this commercial. “What if we were right this whole time? Right in thinking that joy exists all the time, not just at the end. During the sacrifice; during the commitment; during the win. That joy has always been there, fueling the run towards victory? It’s never a distraction, but something more vital. That joy is the whole game and not the end game? Joy is not determined by our circumstances but because of our relationship – our relationship with Christ. So ask yourself, do you have joy because you’re victorious, or are you victorious because you have joy?” For a child of God, joy is not the end game, it’s the whole game. We are victorious in life because we have joy through Christ regardless of the circumstances we are facing at any given time!
I want to share something with you that Nehemiah said to his people. At this moment in Israel’s history, the law, long forgotten and long broken by the captives was now to be re-established for the children of Israel. Naturally, as the people remembered the many sins in their past history, they shed tears mingled with the thankfulness because they have been reminded that they are a nation that belongs to God and that He had not forgotten them. Nehemiah knew that if the spirits of his people once again began to fail that they would not be able to face or conquer the difficulties of failing once again. Think about it, how many times can you fail before you start believing that you can ever succeed? Understanding this, the following was recorded in Nehemiah 8:10. “Then he said unto them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet wine, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be you grieved; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Please know that as a child of God, “….the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
The Bible says “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” A person who is not a Christian can have joy because the word in the Hebrew simply means “gladness.” So a person can have gladness WHEN their emotions have experience something good, like a job promotion or an unexpected gift. Human joy is interwoven with human emotions. But the Bible says the joy, the gladness, that we can receive from the Lord has nothing to do with what is going on with us emotionally. The joy that comes from the Lord is His joy and His joy is based on who He is, not on what’s going on in our lives. In other words, we can have supernatural joy in the midst of the most difficult circumstances because our Father freely gives it to us. Now let’s look at the impact joy plays in our lives.
It is a known fact that a person’s mental state, especially as it relates to joy, can have an impact on their recovery and survival when they are dealing with a serious illness. No observant person would deny that there is an intimate connection between a soul that is sorrowful and sickness of the body; or that cheerfulness of spirit tends to physical health. This is why a physician always tries to keep his patient in “good spirits” by giving them a reason to have hope for a better outcome. Hope fuels joy and vice-versa. Solomon said that “A merry heart does good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22) When a man has good health his cheerful disposition will tend to help keep him healthy. Likewise when someone is experiencing a depressed condition of mind it opens them up to being more susceptible to other diseases. So what Solomon said nearly 4000 years ago is proven medically today as we know that a cheerful, contented disposition enables us to resist the attacks of diseases within our bodies.
Solomon also said that “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Proverbs 15:13) On the surface it looks like these two verses are saying the same thing, but when you examine them more closely you see their differences. Proverbs 17:22 speaks of what a lack of joy does to the body physically – dries up the bones, which includes breaking down the body physically, but also it’s a reference to constant disappointment and prolonged periods of confusion. Is it possible, New Light, that a broken spirit may play a role in the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s? A study published in the May 2012 issue of the “Archives of General Psychiatry” found that people who became depressed late in life had a 70% increased risk of dementia, and those who'd been depressed since middle age were at 80% greater risk. Researchers have long known that depression and dementia go hand in hand. Well Solomon also knew this fact!
Proverbs 15:13 tells us what joy looks like. When someone does not have joy it shows physically on their body. Even though they may be smiling when you see them, you know something is just not right with them. Something is a little bit off in their demeanor. A merry heart cannot be hidden as the person is free and easily smiles. However, when someone is sorrowful and weighed down by life’s struggles, even though they may smile there is no life behind the smile. Their eyes don’t sparkle or shine. They seem dull. The outer man is, to a large extent, a reflection of the inner life. The joy of the heart is made visible upon the countenance for all to see and likewise sorrow of the heart is also made visible for all to see. We cannot hide what is within our hearts. And we see this in Luke 6:45 when Jesus says “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
I know you all get tired of me telling you this unchangeable truth – to experience God’s continual joy within us, we have to be walking with Him and understanding His Word – His promises and His commandments. Choosing joy during our challenging life circumstances is never easy, especially when we are tempted to ignore God's wisdom and follow our own ways. However, David said, “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” (Psalm 19:8) You see the phrase, “rejoicing the heart”? When we read God’s word and begin to obtain a clearer and increasing knowledge of His will for our lives, we begin to understand the promises truly are for us today. We begin to discover the depth of God’s love and grace towards sinful men. We begin to see evidence of the mercies that He continually bestows upon us. This understanding brings joy to our hearts when we reflect on the fact that we are never alone and we have someone who has promised to always be there for us in our time of need and when things are going well.
We know that true joy can only come from God – it is not an emotional response to when something happens to us. Remember I shared with you a few weeks ago that the same Greek root word for joy comes from the same Greek word that means grace? Grace comes from God and so does joy. Because of that, when we choose to trust God with our future it brings us both joy and peace. Why? Because the things we would be so consumed with worry over we have turned over to God and He will work it out – complete with telling us what our roles are in Him working it out. I know it seems strange to find joy by trusting in someone else – when you are used to only trusting in your own capabilities, but I’m a living witness that my greatest joy comes when I learned to just be still before God and trust that He is figuring everything out for my good. Remember what was written in Proverbs 3:5-6? It says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) When we truly place our trust in God, joy follows. Why? When you release something from your heart something else replaces it. So when we release the worry and sorrow that is occupying space in our hearts, our hearts now has room to receive the joy that God is trying to get through to us. God joy is always there for and with us – we just need to find a way to let it in so we can give it out. Proverbs 16:20 says, “He that handles a matter wisely shall find good: and whosoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.” Also, Psalms records: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalm 28:7) When we truly trust in the Lord our hearts learn to rejoice regardless of the situations we are facing.
I want to go just one step further with the joy that comes from trusting in the Lord. Most of us have felt the sorrow of someone’s passing. If you have not had someone die who was close to you, then you might not fully understand what I am about to say. I have had a lot of people with whom I was close to leave this world to be in God’s presence – as far as I know that is where they are. I have buried my father, mother, two sisters, both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. When those closest to me died, I mourned for them. When my mother and baby sister died, I grieved heavily for both of them because I was not prepared. I thought I would have more time so that was my frame of mind. But I trusted in God. I knew my loved ones knew Him as best as they could and they were looking forward to the day they would stand in His presence. So I took God at His word. His word says, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them who are asleep. 16For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (First Thessalonians 4:13-18) I believed God’s word. I saw my family members with Him and I knew I would get to see them again. With this understanding my grieving time passed and I could say what David said, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.” (Psalm 30:11)
Let’s look at what was recorded in Romans 15:13 and we shall see once again the relationship between trusting God and joy. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) Two phrases attract my attention each time I read this verse: “God of hope” and “all joy and peace.” The word “of” in “God of hope” reminds me that true hope comes from God. He is the only source of true hope. And we’ve talked about the meaning of hope several times this past year because of the pandemic. When we have “God’s hope,” “the negative things and battles that we faced in the past, do not have to be the negative things and battles we face in the future.” New Light, that’s a reason to hope – what we experience tomorrow can be better than what we experienced today. The second phrase, “all joy and peace,” are the result of having Godly hope operating in our lives. When we know that our tomorrow doesn’t have to resemble today, then we open the door for Godly joy and peace to come into our lives. And New Light, it’s not just joy and peace – it’s ALL JOY AND ALL PEACE. When we allow Godly hope to be the beacon that shines before us and guides our way, the Bible says we can have all joy and all peace. Wouldn’t you love to live in a state of constant joy and peace? The Bible says when our eyes are on the God of hope, our lives can be one of ongoing joy and peace. I don’t know about you, but that encourages me, especially as our nation continues to experience the impact of COVID-19.
I want to close part one out with two verses recorded in the first chapter of First Thessalonians. Remember what I shared earlier about the differences between joy and happiness? Divine joy isn’t on the same low level as happiness. Happiness is based on circumstantial pleasure, merriment or excitement that causes one to feel hopeful or to be in high spirits. These fleeting emotions of happiness, although very pleasurable at the moment, usually go away just as quickly as they came. I mean think about it, all it takes is one piece of bad news, or an angry word from your spouse, or a bill that was not expected and our emotions of happiness disappear right before our eyes to be replaced with emotions of anger, fear, or worry depending on the situation. But joy, God’s joy, is unaffected by outward circumstances. In fact, it usually thrives best when times are tough – sort of like God’s supernatural response to the devil’s attack.
In the example given in First Thessalonians, Paul tells the Thessalonians, “And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit: 7 So that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7) When Paul wrote this, the Thessalonians were under great stress due to persecutions; yet in the midst of it all, they continued to experience great joy. In fact, the Greek strongly implies that their supernatural joy was due to the Holy Spirit working inside them. Paul even called it the “joy of the Holy Spirit.” The best that this world can offer us are fleeting moments of happiness that changes when our circumstances changes. We can be happy one moment in mad the next based on something said to us. We can be happy when we arrive on our jobs and frustrated as soon as you turn on your computer and see the list of emails you have to respond to. Happiness is not guaranteed; it is not permanent; and because it’s enjoyable for a moment many people spend a lifetime seeking it only to die realizing that life here on earth contains so much more than mere happiness.
I want to leave you with this: when the seed of God has been placed inside our human spirit, that divine seed produces a “joy” that isn’t based on outward events or circumstances. In fact, when times are extremely frustrating and tiresome, if we allow it, the supernatural life of God will rise up inside us to defy that devilish pressure. The supernatural “joy” will sustain us in our hardest times. If you are feeling week, tired, depressed or losing hope because of your situation, do not rely on your own strength because “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” I will finish this message on next Sunday.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
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