The Joy Of The Lord Is Our Strength

1. When joy is moderate, it is called gladness.

2. When we limit our desires by our possessions, it is contentment.

3. When our desires are raised high and yet accomplished, that is called satisfaction.

4. When our joy is derived from some comical occasion or amusement, it is entertainment.

5. When we overcome opposition in the pursuit of the good we desire, it is called triumph.

6. When we rejoice over any good others obtain, it is called sympathy or congratulation.

Spiritual Joy

One afternoon sitting at my kitchen table desperately seeking God's face. I was feeling numb from all the pressures and uncertainty of life without my wife, who was in the hospital and near death's door. Amid my deep, heavy sorrow and the apprehension of uncertainty, I unexpectedly felt the desire to praise and worship God. It poured over me like oil, wrapping me in the warmth of joy. I just wanted to praise Him, amazed that this great joy was flooding my spirit!

Then, a verse came to memory, "I will give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isa 61:3 KJV). God’s presence gave me the strength to face all that I was going through.

Joy and sorrow are deeply connected. Both are a response to those things that matter the most to us. Joy is our delight when we experience, celebrate, and anticipate the manifestation of those things we hold the most significant such as a child's birth.

Sorrow is our response to the violation, destruction, or deterioration of our cherished and sacred things. However, this complexity also informs us how we can experience joy and sorrow at the same time, how true joy is tied to our potential to grow as an individual and relate and give to others, and how our values can endure in the face of loss and suffering. The secret is to stay connected to those things that deeply matter in the face of adversity and loss.

[Adapted from the article “What Is Joy and What Does it Say About Us, by Dr. Pamela King, Psychology Today 7/28/20]

Joy Belongs to the Supernatural Realm

Joy is not something we do but something we receive and to which we respond. It comes by way of the Holy Spirit as a gift of grace.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places." (Hab 3:17-19 ESV)

The joy of the Born-Again Christian is specifically a joy in God (Rom 5:11; Phil 3:8; 4:10). It is associated with both faith and hope (Acts 8:39; 16:34; Rom 15:13; 2 Cor 1:24; Phil 1:25; 1 Peter 1:8). Joy should be an object of our prayers (Rom 15:13)

Joy is most often conjoined with the presence of the Holy Spirit. He produces joy due to His inherent character, so that to be found in the Holy Spirit and being filled with joy become synonymous (Acts 2:46; 13:52; Rom 14:17).