Joy, a Strength Within

What is joy? How is it different from happiness? Happiness is an emotion that can come and go. Feeling happy is “conditionally based” on things around you going well. While joy is a consistent state of being, it is a strength from within. Joy sustains you when the circumstances around you are difficult.

During an interview about this topic, Candace Cameron Bure explained that “there are many days that I may be unhappy because the things going on around me might not be great, but I still have joy inside of me. Because joy is never based upon my circumstances. Joy that I have as a believer and as a Christian comes from God. It is knowing that I am at peace with Him. I am justified before Him. He walks with me. His Spirit is upon me. It is knowing that my future is in heaven. It is having an eternal perspective. That’s where I find my joy when my circumstances are difficult.”

This strength of internal joy is a result of having the foundation of hope, peace and trust in God. In today’s devotional, we are going to explore these three principles of joy: hope, peace and trust.

First, we have the joyful hope of His promises of salvation, victory and eternal life with Him. It is the kind of hope that is based on secured knowledge. It is founded on having trust and complete confidence in God’s truthful word. He says it will be, so we are fully confident that it will be. It is a factual hope in a promised future. It is not the kind of hope that means “Oh, I hope it comes true”.

We read in Proverbs 10:28 that “The hope of the righteous brings joy”. And the reason for this hope is found in Romans 11:29 where Paul shares that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” In other words, these gifts and calling are “not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered. They are final.” There is joy in this kind of hope!

Next, we have the joyful peace of knowing our future is secure in God’s hands. He has guaranteed our inheritance with the gift of the Holy Spirit. He has promised to not let us fail. He created us for victory in Him. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:14 that “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.”

I heard a good explanation from Joyce Meyer about this guaranteed future. Someone is going to give you a brand new car. You can’t have it yet, but they are giving you the title to the car. So it is already 100% yours. You don’t have the actual car in your possession, but you have the full guarantee of the possession because you hold the title which no one can take from you. That is the kind of joyful peace we have in God’s promises!

Finally, we have the joyful trust in God’s faithfulness and love towards us. We can trust that He will carry us through the wilderness of this temporary life on earth. And no matter the circumstances surrounding us, we can trust that He will work all things out for our good. He loves us and only wants the very best outcome for each of His children. We may not see the outcome now or see how anything good is possible in our current situation, but we can have confidence that one day we will understand.

David shares in Psalm 30:5 that “weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” God has promised us an eternity with no more tears, no more pain, no more death. So no matter what we are going through, we can have the confidence that it is temporary and that God has a greater destiny awaiting us.

How can we strengthen the joy within? We draw near to God by spending time in His presence through prayer and reading His word. As we see in Galatians 5:22-23, joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It is a natural result of having the Spirit of God. If we feed on God's word and nourish ourselves spiritually, joy will naturally result. Jeremiah 15:16 tells us “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” And Paul tells us in Romans 12:11-12, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” As we strengthen the joy within, it will empower us to overcome all circumstances.

Let us conclude with Psalm 103:1-5 which gives us reason to be filled with unconditional joy.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

Everyone have a wonderful day! AND...
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him. (Romans 15:13)