O' The Joy Of It All

Joy is defined as, "To fill with ecstatic happiness, pleasure, or satisfaction." Noah Webster (1828) describes joy as, "The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits; A glorious and triumphant state." Although most people may equate joy as happiness or ecstatic happiness, joy actually goes way beyond happiness on ever level. Reason being, happiness is based solely around ones existing circumstances, the material or physical realm. Remove the thing(s) that brought happiness, happiness then dissipates.   

Joy on the other hand is not based on the physical realm, because it is spiritual. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." (Galatians 5:22-23)  Nehemiah tells us, "...the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) Joy is not something that is based on the physical realm nor is it conjured up, but a realization of the Truth. Joy is a product of the recreated human spirit when one comes to Christ and is born again. So, why is it that many believers do not have joy? Mostly, because they are looking for joy in the wrong place(s). What they miss, is what is pointed out above. They are looking for joy based on material circumstances not realizing that it comes by-way-of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It comes knowing Him and the best way to know Him is through the Word of God. Honestly, a believer without joy is a contradiction in terms. If you are right with God, you ought to have a continual, conspicuous, contagious joy. Any time we look at that natural to fulfill what only the spiritual can fulfill, we will find ourselves on an emotional roller-coaster caught between happiness and dissatisfaction. Joy is nothing of the sort.  

One of the things that many believers have trouble understanding and applying to their daily life, is what James tells us about joy, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." (James 1:2) Many believers question, "Why does James say this? Doesn't God realize just how severe and or traumatic my circumstances are?" Certainly, God knows every situation that life brings even before we have to face them. (Matthew 6:19-34) He fully understands what our struggles are. (Hebrews 4:15) He will not let us be under the pressures of life that He knows we cannot handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13) So, why do many believers respond to the various trial of life without joy?

The writer of Hebrews gives us some insight concerning this very thing. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1) Believers are to run the race without allowing ourselves to be hindered by any obstructions, and without giving out or fainting on the way. We are to encourage ourselves by the example of the multitudes who have run the same race before us, and who are now looking out upon us from heaven, where they dwell, and are cheering us on. Believers cannot run the race, "the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:14) with the concerns of the world and or sin in their life. Therefore, it becomes impossible to have "the joy of the Lord" as our strength to overcome every trial in the way that James points out.

But look what Hebrews continues to reveal to us, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) Naturally, Jesus is the greatest example that believers have to live in the abundant life that He said we would have. (John 10:10) Notice, believers are to look to Jesus, not the problem, not the trial. Surely, if you are facing a trial, it is not to say that it does not exist when it truly does. The trial is real. Again, believers are to look to Jesus not the trial. He is the One who will strengthen our faith. But look at the next portion of this scripture, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame..." How could Jesus have joy when He was facing the horrific pain, shame, agony and death of crucifixion? 

He had joy because he was not looking at the pain, shame, agony and death. He was looking at the end result, "sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God." This meant that redemption would now be eternal and available to all mankind. It meant that justice was satisfied (Hebrews 1:3) and the world was reconciled to God the Father. (2 Corinthians 5:18) This was the joy that was set before Jesus. This is why He could endure the indescribable suffering and shame of the cross. So, why does God tell us through James to count it all a joy when you fall into various trials? Because we are to look at the end product or promise in the same way that Jesus did and not focus on the trial. 

When believers look at what a trial can produce in their life rather than the discomfort of the trial, joy is the natural product, just as Jesus had joy, though He face the cross. No matter what the trial is, if believers would turn to God's Word, find the solution and stand on and look to His promises rather than the problem at hand, joy will abound. Jesus tells us, "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:23-24) For instance, say you are lacking in finances, God says, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom." (Luke 6:38) "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8) "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) 

These are but a few of the promises of God concerning finances, but are enough to drive home the point. We take God's Word, confess with our mouth and believe with our heart that God is able to do what He says. (Romans 4:21) We then get an image in our mind of the finished product, our financial need met. We then go about our business knowing that God heard us and will give us the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15) We know the problem exists in the natural, but we do not focus on the natural, only on the spiritual, God's Word, His promises. This is what Jesus tells us in a Parable, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)    

The man first scattered (sowed) seed, God's Word (Mark 4:14) and went about the routines of life. He was not idle after sowing the seed and even though he did not know everything there is to know about the earth bringing forth a crop, he knew that his labors of sowing and going about his business, would eventually produce a crop. Every believer has a choice. We can continuously confess (sow) the problem, which means we agree with the problem, and reap a harvest, the problem itself,  or we can confess (sow) God's solutions to the problem, His promises found in His Word, and reap a harvest, the manifestation of His promise. James tells us one of the aspects of "counting it all joy when you fall into various trials," is, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:3-4) What a wonderful promise, "that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." PTL

So, when we face a trial, and we will if we plan to serve Jesus, let us no longer focus on the problem, although it exists, and "look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Looking to Jesus is the same as looking to the Word of God "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh..." (John 1:1, 14) In doing this, the joy of the LORD will rise...