THE JOY OF THE LORD

THE JOY OF THE LORD . . .
Have you ever been sitting around having a conversation with friends about the Lord and your testimony just comes pouring out of you? This happened to me recently.

The moment I started talking, every emotion I felt at the time of my salvation came washing back over me and, as I said, pouring out of me.  I can’t remember the last time this happened.

I’ve written articles about the pain of life, the things that happen to us that causes so much grief and anxiety.  Things that could make us doubt that God even cares.  

As has been said many times, our joy is not dependent on our circumstances.  Nehemiah 8:10 “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Even through my grief or pain of life I found that the pure joy of the Lord is inside of me and a very powerful thing.  It is a very strong tool that can be used to give your testimony to someone who may be doubting or may not have accepted Christ.  

I’ve found that you don’t have to try to convince anyone of the fact that Christ lives in you or that the Holy Spirit guides you in every way.  It is a personal relationship with Christ where joy and peace are benefits.
Galatians 5:22-23 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…”

We don’t have to wait to experience the joy of the Lord on the other side of the “bad stuff”, but we can have this joy while living and walking with Jesus every day.  

Even in our suffering we can rejoice.

Romans 5: 1-5
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

I have many joys in my life. I don’t mean to express that everything about my life is suffering.  I have wonderful family and friends, beautiful grandchildren, a great church, music, a roof over my head, food to eat and as everyone would say, the list goes on. I am grateful for everything God has given me.

I am mostly grateful for Jesus and what he did on that cross to give me life everlasting.  I am grateful for the ability to share with others the joy of my salvation and that there is hope for the future.

Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning”.
Oh praise God, it’s all for His glory,
Debbie