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May 31, 2024 06:00am

Are You Joyful?

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Are you joyful?

If you had to describe it, what does joy look like? Maybe it’s been awhile since you’ve experienced it or felt it so you aren’t even sure anymore. Maybe you’ve gone through heartbreaking situations and it feels like all joy has been stripped away.

I’m sorry. My heart goes out to you.

I’m a fixer, you know. I have this deep desire to make everything better. But there are some things that cannot be fixed. They can’t be undone, repaired, restored, or reconciled. Not by me anyways.

But God…

Do you believe that He is the Almighty One? He restores, repairs, and reconciles. He alone can revive. And only through Him can we experience true joy.

John 15:9-11
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Joy might be full. How can that even happen when we’ve experienced the worst of the worst.

Jesus said that was why He said the things that He did – “these things I have spoken to you.” What did He speak of that would give us that joy? A joy that remains?

Look at the first part of the passage.

As the Father loves me, I love you.

This is where our joy begins and remains. True joy can only be found in the love of Jesus.

He loves YOU! Isn’t that incredible? To think, the Creator of the World, the One who has always existed, the One who speaks and life begins, the One who has the power to heal, forgive, resurrect, and defeat our enemies – He Loves YOU!

Isn’t that worth rejoicing over? That is where… no, That is WHO our Joy comes from!

And the beautiful part about it all is that Jesus is promising this to His disciples in the midst of knowing the great suffering that’s ahead of Him and them. Joy does not mean you will be happy all the time. It’s delighting in knowing that there is hope, a beautiful ray of sunlight at the end of a storm. It’s being filled with the peace of God and knowing He is in control. It’s being able to praise the Lord when you walk through the fire. It is more than a feeling, it’s His very presence. It’s remembering all we’ve come through to be where we are. It’s seeing the blessings that surround us, even when something or someone has been taken away. It’s recognizing that you are a part of the plan, the mission, and have purpose. And knowing that it was only because of God.

Abide in Christ so your Joy may be full.