The Joy of the Lord
God is in control and will work out all things to His will. He was in control at creation and He will be in control when Jesus steps out to carry us all home to be with Him.
There is a strength that can only come from the Lord. The prophet Nehemiah gathered the people of Israel at the Water Gate. The people of Israel have been in a place of bondage and grief after their city and walls and gates have been destroyed. The Water Gate represents the cleansing and sanctification we can receive through the word of God. Nehemiah told them to not grieve because the joy of the Lord is their strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
How do you get from a state of sadness, destruction, confusion, and grief to a place of joy? Joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. The joy of the Lord is a joy that you have available to you even in your darkest day.
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:12
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Philippinas 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
The world offer a quick fix joy. A coverup feeling that lasts a short time and then reality sets back in. god offers joy that is renewed every morning and will sustain you throughout your life.
When life seems to fall apart, God is still in control.
God is not surprised by what is happening indoor life. Job was a devout man of God. Job is tested in ways many of us will never know. For the majority of the book, Job, his wife, and his friends question where God is. Finally, in chapter 38 God speaks. He simply asks Job if he was there when He was forming the world and all that is in it. Job answers I am unworthy and You can do all things.
Job 40:4
4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Job 42:2
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
When life seems hopeless, God will work it out.
When things seem out of control, God can work it out. Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details. Joy is the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right.
1 Peter 1:8
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
When I can’t see God in my situation, God is still worthy of praise.
We worship God based on how we feel. If we feel good, we worship. If we feel bad, we don’t worship. We need to say, I am going to be joyful even though I don’t see You in my situation. I am going to worship even though things aren’t going the way I planned. God will enable us to endure things the world thinks are impossible.
Habakkuk 3:18
8 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Lessons From a Philippian Jail
Paul spent 2 years in a Roman jail. Sixteen times in the short book of Philippians he use the word joy or rejoice.
Stop dwelling on what happened.
Philippians 1:12
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[a] that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.
Lamentations 3:26
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Look for the new opportunities.
Philippians 1:14
14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
Adopt an eternal perspective.
Philippians 1:18
18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,