Joy

I like to have quiet time in the morning…as I eat my breakfast.
Feed my body…feed my soul!
I am up early in the morning, so that has always been a good time for me.
When the children were little, they would always find me at the counter with my Bible.

I still read my Bible in the morning…but I have to admit…mornings are busy.
My quiet time seems to be shorter than ever before.
To solve that problem, I purchased an audio Bible for my iPod.

It doesn’t take the place of actually reading God’s Word.
It is wonderful, however, to hear the Bible being read aloud.
The version I have is read by a man with a wonderful British accent.
It is very pleasant to listen to his clear voice.

Listening to God’s Word enables me to catch nuances I may have read right over.
I remember listening to the gospel of John.
I was amazed at the number of times Jesus said, I tell you the truth.
I actually went to my Bible and counted.
If my count is accurate, Jesus said those words twenty six times!

I had just returned home from food shopping.
I decided to listen to Paul’s letters.
I started with Galatians because that is where I am in my quiet time.
I never realized the timeliness of this book.

Paul wrote this letter to clarify and defend the truth of the gospel.
Many false gospels were being taught and presented to the people.
Paul wanted to correct false teaching with the Truth.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. (Galatians 1:6,7)

I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive if from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11,12)

As I was putting the groceries away in the pantry, I heard it.
I must have read this verse hundreds of times.
Listening to the Bible aloud, there was a newness…a freshness…to those familiar words.

What has happened to all of your joy? (Galatians 4:15)

I pondered that…as I closed the pantry doors.

Anyone that gets emails from me…knows that I often end my emails in one of three ways.
Joy in Him.
Hold on to His Joy.
Joy in our Lord Jesus.

Those are not just words to me.

When I heard Paul ask that question so succinctly…it made me pause.

The question seemed so pertinent…especially after a divisive election in our country.
Half of the people were very happy about the presidential choice.
Half of the people were extremely discouraged.

What has happened to all of your joy?

I have heard it said…happiness is what happens to you.
Joy, however, is something you carry around inside of you.

Things happen in this world…wonderful things…not so wonderful things.
Without joy, our mood…our attitude…will be dictated by external things.
External things that are always changing.

Joy keeps us rock steady!
Joy gives us a peace and an assurance that exudes from the inside…out!
God is on His Throne…He is in control.

His Holy Spirit is the “something” we carry around inside of us…as believers.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22,23)

Joy is seen…though rarely understood.

Happiness can be measured.
Things are going well for us…we are happy.
Things are going badly for us…we are miserable.

Joy is bottom-less.
It is effervescent.
It can’t help but spill over onto others.
Joy is contagious.

What has happened to all of your joy?
As a nation?
As a church?
As a family?
As an individual?

We have the same resurrection power of the Risen Lord Jesus at our disposal.
We have the Sword of the Spirit…the Word of God…Absolute Truth…in our hands.
We have the mind of Christ…thinking His thoughts after Him.
We have the Holy Spirit…the Counselor…within us…teaching, guiding, reminding.

We are not defeated!
We are victorious in Christ!
We will not retreat!
We will not cower in a corner!

We must be shrewd…sagacious.
We must learn how to defend our faith…in the face of false teaching.
We must be Biblically literate…so we can spot what is false…because we know what is true.

I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song, He has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous…This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:14,15,24)

Joy in Him.
Hold on to His Joy.
Joy in our Lord Jesus.