The Joy of our Salvation

[Joy]

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the character traits of the Spirit of God that is in us. They are called fruits mainly because they are a byproduct of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. The fruits consist of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:16 & 22-23)

Fruit of Joy​

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17)

We are commanded by scripture to rejoice always. This means to rejoice under every circumstance that we may find ourselves in. In the natural, this is absolutely impossible but when we walk in the Spirit it becomes a reality.

When the scripture tells us to rejoice always it doesn’t mean that we rejoice in the fact that we are facing struggles. It means that we “rejoice in the truth” in the midst of the struggles (1 Corinthians 13:6). It means we become focused on what we do not see instead of what we do see (2 Corinthians 5:7). It means that we rejoice over the struggles because we know that it is producing something of value in us (Romans 5:3-4).

But as Galatians 5 suggests, this kind of joy is only possible when we walk with the Spirit and not according to the flesh because the joy is not ours but His.



David Jeremiah, Turning toward Joy

 

[civic]

AMEN !!!

 

[Blessed]

Gratitude leads to joy. Where does gratitude rank on your list of Christian virtues?

In an arsenal that’s supposed to include things like mountain-moving faith, radical obedience, patient long-suffering, and second-mile self-denial, for many, gratitude feels like an optional add-on. Nice if you can get it, but not all that critical to making life run the way it should.

But gratitude I think is critical to making our lives Joyful.

If in our mind there’s an A, B, and C tier of Christian character traits, gratitude likely rattles down to one of those lower rungs–down there with hospitality and cheerfulness and going to church on Sunday night. Gratitude may appear on the deluxe models, but it’s definitely not in the basic package–and not even in the same category as those other, more important pieces of heavy Christian machinery. Or so we think.

And yet …

This issue of gratitude is far more significant than its lightweight reputation would suggest. What appears at first to be a cute little finger ring to go with our finer things is in reality a much weightier, much more powerful, much more necessary component to our Christian life.

Try, for example, to sustain persevering faith–without gratitude–and your faith will eventually forget the whole point of its faithfulness, hardening into a practice of religion that’s hollow and ineffective.

Try being a person who exudes and exhibits Christian love–without gratitude–and over time your love will crash hard on the sharp rocks of disappointment and disillusionment.

Try being a person who sacrificially gives of yourself–without the offering being accompanied by gratitude–and you’ll find every ounce of joy drained dry by a martyr complex.


I'm so grateful for my salvation that it fill me with Joy, Joy, overflowing because I have put my Faith in Jesus. He will never let us down.

 

[Gloria]

Dear friends, God loves you, His promises are sure, and your heavenly destiny is settled forever if you’ve trusted Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. But some of the holy work we need to have done in us and through us can only come through the valley of shadow and suffering. That's where our joy comes from.

John 15:11. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

It is the will of God for his children to be full of joy. Their joy is to be like the joy of Christ; it is to be of the same nature as his. It is his joy becoming our joy, his joy remaining in us and increasing until our joy is full.

Let's be clay in His hands, knowing that He is intent on shaping us into the image of Christ and wants to use your life for something far bigger than your own comfort, convenience, and pleasure? He wants your life to be part of a grand, eternal redemptive picture that portrays the wonder of His saving grace. One day that picture will be complete and together we will magnify Him forever.

 

[Overjoyed]

'You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.'
Psalms 16:11

If you want to see changes in your life: if you want to be healed, be free, and have joy, you’ll need to actually spend time in the presence of God. Religion doesn’t bring joy to your life. In fact, from the beginning of the word of God, He’s been telling His people that what is in our hearts has always been infinitely more important than following the rules. To be clear, I’m not saying that the rules don’t matter, or that we shouldn’t obey the teachings of our faith. Only that if we do those things and our hearts remain far from God, they are of little value.

Look at what the Lord says to his people in Hosea 6:6: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

Steadfast love. That’s what matters to God. That’s what makes the difference in our lives. The word steadfast means unchanging and consistent. When we learn the importance of honest, consistent, unchanging love for God, we begin to experience more than just religion, but relationship. In Hosea 6:6 it also says He desires for us to have “knowledge of God” – He wants us to know Him. He wants us to learn about Him as we would a friend or a loved one with whom we’ve spent time.

How do we get to that place? When we talk to Him, and spend time around Him. It’s in our private devotional time. Look what happens during this time according to the psalm we are focusing on today: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy” Relationship with God brings knowledge of the path of life. The more time we spend with Him the less confused and worried we will be. The more confident we will be in our decisions. The more insight we will have on the situations occurring around us. Because He knows what’s next, and He knows what’s best for us. And He shares these things with us when we go to Him and spend time in prayer and meditation on His word.

Equally important, relationship with God brings joy. So many of us pray for joy but refuse to go to the source: the presence of God. Many of us spend years seeing small flashes of joy in church services, but find that it disappears when we go home. This is because it is made in His presence. In our last devotional we learned that joy is a fruit: it is the product of the Holy Spirit. We also learned that fruit is always produced on purpose. In the same way, if we don’t intentionally spend time in His presence, we will never experience fullness of joy. In this passage, the word “fullness” means complete, whole, and lacking nothing.

Those who draw near to God must be more than just “card-carrying” Christians. It takes more than a church membership. We are rewarded when we diligently seek Him, being steadfast, consistent and unchanging. I want to challenge you to spend time in God’s presence as you read this plan. My prayer is that you would go beyond the title of Christian, and become one who diligently seeks God and reaps the benefits of His presence. Reading books and watching sermons are great. But if in the end you don’t learn to diligently seek God on your own, you will never learn how to live joyfully. As you go through this devotional, take time to pray, journal, and meditate in the presence of God. Find a quiet place to talk with God and pour out your heart to Him. It is in these moments where joy is made, and your heart will be renewed day by day.

Thoughts for Meditation:

How often do I seek joy in other places, but fail to go to the presence of God? Have I been steadfast and diligent in my devotion to the Lord? how can I ensure that I make time to find joy in His presence?

Prayer:

Lord, teach me how to find fullness of joy in your presence. I’m sorry if I’ve offered you religion, but have never offered steadfast love and devotion, and have never gotten to know you. I realize now that I am in need of a relationship with you. Teach me how to seek you in a way that is consistent and diligent so that I can reap the rewards of knowing you. Make known to me the paths of life, and show me who you are, so that I will never depart from you.


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