OBTAINING THE JOY OF THE LORD

Footsteps to Zion//
     In the last post, we have talked about joy as one of the keys in triumphing over difficult circumstances. Oh how we need the joy of the Lord!

     But to whom is the joy of the Lord given?
Psalm 45:7 tells us :
You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. 
     Here we see that those who LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS and HATE WICKEDNESS are given the anointing oil of gladness by God! We need this two to be developed by the Holy Spirit in us because we are not naturally righteous, and we are very prone to wayward ways. Our love for righteousness is manifested if we choose not to compromise the standards that God has set in His Word even if it means having to pay a costly price. I have seen this happen to all the Christians I know who chose to come up higher in their walk with God. It is definitely not possible to mature as a believer of Christ without being tested and obtaining victory in the area of righteousness. But loving righteousness is not enough. We need to hate wickedness as well. Today, media is inundated with all sorts of sins, wickedness, and immorality. There should be something within us that is violated whenever we come across these detestable things. Or have we been calloused to even tolerate such as part of the “new” social norm? Those who are not in righteous standing with the Lord are the ones devoid of His true joy.

     In Ecclesiastes 2:26, the Bible tells us that “God giveth to a man what is good in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy”. If we live lives that are pleasing to God, we are given these three things : Wisdom, Knowledge, and Joy! May our lives indeed be pleasing unto Him Who alone is deserving of our highest praise.

How is joy developed in our lives?
Psalm 30:11-12 tells us :
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. 
     The above passage tells us that he was clothed with gladness, but the context from which this happens is through mourning. Indeed, joy is developed in our lives through intense suffering. Jesus was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was in Him, as Hebrews 12:2 tells us , “Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In John 15:10-11, Jesus tells us :
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 
     This passage tells us the importance of abiding in the love of Christ (the True Vine). As we are abiding in Him, we experience an outflow of His joy in our lives. His joy remains in us, dwells in us, and our joy becomes full! And yet, there is a condition that our Lord Jesus sets : IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. 

     How important it is then that we hear from God and that we obey His commands! His Word must be constantly coming to us. As we abide in the Lord, and as His Word abides in us, and as we are faithful in keeping His Word, then by God’s grace, we obtain the joy of the Lord!

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This series is developed from Dr. Brian Bailey's preaching, Joy in Famine and his book on the Holy Spirit, The Comforter.

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