. . . Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! (Psalm 144:15)
This past summer my family and I had the chance to see Windsor Castle just outside of London. The queen lives there and if the flag is flying then you know she’s in residence. That day the flag was happily flapping in the wind and though we didn’t see her it was exciting to know she was there. Joy is kind of like that flag. When we as Christians demonstrate the joy of the Lord it lets people know the King is resident in our hearts. Here’s some thoughts from Scripture on joy:
-Joy comes from the Holy Spirit: (Gal 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy . . .
-Joy is a result of experiencing God’s forgiveness: (Psa 32:1) Blessed (O how happy) is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
-The joy of the Lord is energizing: (Neh 8:10) . . . the joy of the LORD is your strength.
-Joy is like a healthy tonic: (Pro 17:22) A merry heart does good, like medicine . . .
-Joy makes for a cheerful countenance and an attractive disposition: (Pro 15:13) A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance . . .
-It makes you want to sing: (James 5:13) . . . Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
-You can have joy even in sorrow or disappointment: (Rom 12:12) rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation . . .
What a great quality of life we can have when we let the Spirit control our lives and give us the joy of the Lord. Life really can be joyful and sweet in the Lord. And what a witness it is to others that the King is in residence in your heart . . . and can live in theirs too. Smiles everyone!
Louie