The Joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
Isaiah 12:3(KJV), a very popular verse of the scriptures. It is very important though to understand the peculiarity of this very verse. God is the bringer of salvation, yet, you need the joy of the Lord to have access to it: that is amazing! Please be aware that the joy of the Lord is not an event-based phenomenon; it is deeper than that. This joy is birthed through a deep connection to God. As believers, we are often confronted with events, trials, and temptations that are not pleasant or desirable but come our way nevertheless. But this scripture clearly states that in order to have access to salvation whenever we are confronted with situations that we need to be saved from; joy is the key. The joy of the Lord.
Joy is our strength – Nehemiah 8:10(KJV)
One of the most common problems that people face these days is depression. What is depression? Depression is simply a state of being hopeless, unmotivated, and lonely. Most people are depressed because they think they are alone and feel like the whole world is against them. This definition is not saying this is all about depression; it is just a perspective of what depression is. If you ask anyone depressed they are mostly going to tell you that no one cares and things are not just working and no reason to live. This is where the joy of the Lord comes in as strength. Anyone carrying the joy of the Lord inside can ever be depressed; this is not saying they will never have problems, it just means they will go through with all the strength they need to make it through, joy.
The joy of the Lord does not come from our successes but from the spirit of the Lord. Galatians 5:22(KJV) opens up by stating that joy is a fruit of the spirit. One thing that we must take note of here is that whatever you call a fruit needs the right soil and atmosphere to flourish. If joy is a fruit of the spirit, then the spirit must be the tree; hence the tree needs good soil to produce. Our heart is the soil. If the heart is not right then the spirit will not have the right condition to produce the fruit we need. This is why it is important for us to guard our hearts. Please read Proverbs 4:23 in KJV, NIV, and NLT versions; I love the way they put it. Our heart is the key. Be careful of what you listen to and let into your mind, they can either make you or destroy you. Depression is insidious. Where the joy of the Lord is absent, depression, loneliness, discouragement, and loss of interest in life will set in. Be careful of the company you keep. Avoid attaching your joy to events, things, and people; those are not predictable and can/will fail. Keep your gaze on God that can never fail.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
God is always there
Most people think and see God very far away. It always seems like God is in heaven and is beyond reach unless we shout and be so holy and that it is only when we feel qualified that we can approach God. That may be a little ambiguous, but, here is what I do know. God is closer to us than we realize. He is always there. He is just so patient that He will gently keep calling to us until we are calm enough to hear Him and respond to Him.
All God wants us to do is to love and trust Him and be confident enough to smile in the face of challenges and even the devil all because we know God is there. The irony is that most of us fail God in this. The good thing though is that God will still keep expecting that we will always come back to Him. He never disappoints. You will always have joy when you truly trust in God.
The joy of the Lord is the key to the deliverance we need.
How to get the Joy of the Lord
Walk by the spirit of God and live by the word of God. A prayerful life is non-negotiable. We must push to be in the presence of God daily. Jeremiah 29:13(KJV) says we can only find God when we search for Him with the whole of our hearts. Remember earlier we talked about guarding our hearts. If the heart is not conducive joy will not be a reality. We must dedicate our hearts to finding God who is our salvation.
Remain blessed.
