Influencers Weekly Devotional
Joy
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…” Galatians 5:22
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” Psalm 51:12
Joy is one of the smallest words in the Bible, but one which has so much power. Joy is a characteristic which should be evident in the life of every believer, yet it seems to elude most of us. However, those who seem to be living the victorious Christian life exude it. It is such a simple thing, but for some reason, difficult to discover. I think I know why. We have settled for a counterfeit version of joy which the world has sold us. Satan, the “prince of this world”, has craftily twisted joy into something it was never intended to be. For example, “happiness” is not joy. Everyone wants to be happy. It feels good to our senses to be happy, so our “happy place” is somewhere we long to visit time and time again. We look for people and situations which will make us happy. “Pleasure” is not joy. We seek pleasure most every day of our life. We seek it in sex, we seek it in alcohol, we seek it at spas, and we seek it on vacation. Again, when our flesh is aroused and certain endorphins are released, we feel good. So, we naturally desire pleasure. “Success” is not joy. Everyone in this world esteems success. Whether it is the lifestyles of the rich and famous or achievement at its highest level, we all love to see a “winner.” We adore athletes, movie stars, politicians, and all people who seem to have conquered life and who find their way to big stage. We stand in awe of millionaires and wonder what it would be like to live their life. We will work endless hours, manipulate whomever we must, and compromise our morals and ethics all in the search of the “American Dream.” We even see this drive for success being passed down to our children as little boys are being pushed in sports to an unhealthy level, all in the hopes of some Father that his son is the next rich professional. We see schools loading kids down with endless amounts of homework, all in this never-ending quest for excellence. We have fallen for a lie. The problem with the world’s counterfeits is that they are all temporal. Whatever satisfaction they may bring to our flesh, and even our spirit, does not last. It quickly fades away, and we’re left feeling empty and betrayed. Yet, we usually repeat the cycle, returning to the same vain pursuit. What we are really longing for is Joy. Joy comes from God. God is eternal, and He has an endless supply joy to give. It never runs out, and it is available to all of His children. It is always there within us by His Spirit, but I’m afraid that when our focus is on the world, joy gets pushed back into the recesses of our spirit. When we finally surrender ourselves to His will and let go of our desires for the things of this world, joy begins to flow back into our lives. It is so much sweeter and more fulfilling than anything Satan is selling. When we discover it, we find freedom. We find contentment. We find peace. We find rest. Now that I’ve said what joy is not, let me try to paint a picture of what I think joy IS: Joy is considering others before considering yourself. Joy is a loving commitment to your spouse. Joy is spending time with your children, giving them your full attention, enjoying them. Joy is reading and meditating on God’s Word, finding personal nuggets which penetrate your heart. Joy is prayer, praising God and interceding for others. Joy is a grateful appreciation for God’s creation, whether it be the endless ocean or the majestic mountains or your own backyard. Joy is new birth. Joy is forgiveness and reconciliation. Joy is giving money to someone who doesn’t necessarily deserve it. Joy is laughter which is not at the expense of another. Joy is contentment. Joy is integrity and honor. Joy is using your spiritual gifts. Joy is trust. Joy is hope. Joy is love. There are many more example of joy, and those of you who have discovered it could list them. For those of you who don’t feel very joyful today, I pray you will examine your life and ask the Lord to show you what’s keeping you from it. He wants to give you joy. He loves you, and He has far better things planned for you than you have for yourself. Many blessings to you, my friend, on your Journey to Joy. Bryan Craig