Praise the Lord. A couple weeks back, I started a blog on “The Fruit of the Spirit” Galatians 5:22 starting off with “Love” “Whats Love Got To Do With It” and I want to continue with #Joy. I’m really excited about this because holy spirit gave me such prophetic revelations, insights and confirmation regarding this fruit of joy as I was going around my house preparing and when I even sat down this evening for a couple hours to write it all down. It was a glorious outpouring from holy spirit and I trust this is going to bless you. This post on #Joy is also in two parts….
- JOY IS A GIFT FROM GOD
Joy is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Joy is not to be confused with “happy” although happiness is a component of Joy. Several translations of “Joy” I was studying this evening relates to “reigning in triumph, loud (as in glad, leaping, even dancing)”.
Jesus says the spirit of the Lord is upon him to carry out several assignments one of which is to GRANT YOU the “OIL of JOY” even to those who MOURN in Zion and give You a garment of praise for any heaviness you feel in your spirit (Please read Isaiah 61:1-3)
Oil is reference to the holy spirit, oil is reference is something that is thick and heavy and he wants us to be glowing with this oil of joy! You are not supposed to be laboring to create your own form of joy— how much of it can you create anyways and how long will it last and satisfy you? You are to be receiving the joy of the Lord and working with and from that well of divine joy.
- GOD WANTS YOUR JOY TO REMAIN AND BE COMPLETE
It will surprise you to learn that God actually wants your joy to 1. REMAIN and 2. BE complete in Him; not in things. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong in being happy for what you have or been blessed with. In fact, you should be happy! Me, I make sure I am happy in the Lord because that is my father’s good pleasure for me (and YOU) in ALL things. And if you are not, I pray you receive the joy of the Lord, which is more than happiness but rather triumph over all things!
- JOY THAT REMAINS
Jesus told us that “He is telling us these things, so that HIS Joy will REMAIN in us and be full” (Please read John 15). Have you realized sometimes your “joy” fluctuates? Today its on a high and tomorrow it hits the valley down low. Whenever that happens you ought to be reminded that your joy is not meant to go on vacations but meant to REMAIN and you have to make a conscious effort to identify what is contending with Christ’s joy in you and choose to walk in the Joy of the Lord; refusing to let the enemy steal your joy through the things you allow yourself to see, hear and think. Pull down every thought that tries to steal your joy, demolish every pretension that sets itself up against Gods ordinances for you and bring it under subjection to Christ because Jesus wants HIS Joy in YOU to REMAIN.
- JOY THAT IS COMPLETE
Have you realized that things that are partially done can be irritating sometimes? Because naturally, we all seek for completeness in life and because God knows our nature, he is not in the business of giving us “half” things. Instead, out of the abundance of his wells of joy, he gives us without measure COMPLETE Joy through Christ. That’s why…
….Jesus said, “ I am telling you all these things so that MY joy may be made COMPLETE and PERFECT in YOU. That you may experience MY DELIGHT FULFILLED in you and that ENJOYMENT may be PERFECTED in your SOULS, that you may have GLADNESS FILLING your HEART” ( John 17:13 Amplified Version)
The promise above is a promise of Complete—not half– Joy from Jesus. Which of you wraps HALF gifts for your friends on their birthdays or weddings or graduations? You are either giving it completely or not. You are either in or out; there is no halfway business. Do you gift someone half of a pair of earrings or half a shoe or half a birthday cake? The good news is Christ definitely gifts us with COMPLETE joy in HIM. If you are going to give me the thing, then you might as well give it completely! And he has. Likewise, if you are going to receive Christs’ joy, you might as well receive it completely too! Receive his joy in Jesus name! amen
- FINALLY……..
God has made provision in Christ for your joy. When people have not first established their joy in the Lord, other forms of joy could potentially become idolatory: clothing, money,relationships, degrees, titles, flimsy temporal passing of life etc. Again, there is no problem with having any of the good things. In fact, I would want you to even have all of it and more. My point is, if your joy is tied to “things” and not flowing from the deep-seated wells of your fellowship with Jesus, I am concerned about the longevity of your joy. But God being so good, he is ready to give you this deep-seated everlasting joy, which is a free gift in your fellowship with Christ. Because Christ is committed to appoint you with the oil of Joy, anything that causes you to “mourn” in life, your walk with the Lord, school, family, relationships, life assignment, etc there is an antidote called: Joy for you today.
The Joy is in Christ, it’s in your fellowship with him, its in his love for you, it’s in his word and ordinances, it’s in his presence and its in the deliverance and triumphs he has won for you. Receive this antidote of Joy!
- TOMORROW…..WATCH OUT FOR….
Godwilling, by tomorrow evening I will post the remaining part titled Watching out for the things that “steal your joy” and how to deal with them as well as a revelation the Lord gave me tonight about Joy being a bucket to access deep wells of limitless blessing
Stay in Love (and joy too),
R.
PillBox 