E19 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - The Joy of the LORD - Do you want it?
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #19
Title: Joy in the Lord – Do you want it?
Date: August 9, 2021
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Chara khar-ah' From G5463; cheerfulness, that is, calm delight:
Intro: In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul listed 9 virtues of the Holy Spirit imparted to Christians. The 1st one listed is love, and think about it, we have love, that is love given to us from GOD, and the love we have for others. It stands to reason joy will come out of this love.
What if love is missing in our lives? What if everyone we know is more acquaintance than a friend and the relationship is not based on love, either their love for us or our love for them
Can we still have joy? Let me read through the virtues listed in Galatians and I want you to think about the Holy Spirit’s ministry to us, especially when He comes to set us apart for GOD.
Gal 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 - gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Devotion focus:
· How to have joy regardless of other relationships or circumstances
Now, when I typed this out I knew I would have a difficult time convincing someone in terrible circumstances that they too may have joy.
And then I remembered it’s not my responsibility to convince anyone of anything in these devotions. It’s GOD’s place to convince people of His truth as revealed in the Bible.
Having said that I recognize I have a responsibility to present GOD’s truth clearly so I don’t cause confusion or doubt to enter.
With GOD’s help, I’ll try my best to present this devotion about joy edged with feelings of my own joy.
I’ll confess right here that feelings of joy come and go with circumstances when I’m distracted or frustrated. This is my normal experience with feeling joy.
Let me stop here and ask you: what are you feeling right this moment concerning joy?
Before going further let me caution you not to try to fake it with a false smile. Be real with yourself. It’s okay; no one will know when you’re honest with yourself.
If you discover that feeling joy is rarely your experience then you’re in good company.
So what can we do to feel joy or joyfulness at times? A look at Biblical joy Jesus said He gives will be helpful, and then we’ll look at ways to bring about this wonderful promise of Jesus by which to partake of His joy.
An important point: The joy Jesus gives is founded on love.
First, when I asked earlier what if love is missing from our lives how can we have joy - follow this closely: love on this earth from others around us is transitory. Those feelings of love and its effect come and go with people’s attitudes and their disposition’s toward us.
So I’m not talking about this kind of level of joy. I don’t know about you but when I need joyfulness to pick me up and ward off depression I need it right then. Can you see where I’m headed with this?
Listen to John 15:11 once more:
John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
The time during which Jesus spoke these words is important to note. It was the night before His arrest. He knew it was about to happen and so He taught His beloved followers what was meaningful to Him deep within His heart.
In this verse of John 15:11, Jesus said “these things.” What things?
Well, let’s go back to the beginning of John chapter 13:
John 13:1 – ‘Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.’
Then He says in John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
Do you see what He’s doing? He’s building toward something.
He said in John 14:1 - "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” This is telling us something about faith, that it’s necessary.
And here is a pair of promises concerning prayer:
John 14:13 – “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14 – “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it
And then Jesus adds:
John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Do you see how He circled back to love?
And then He goes on to reveal the coming of His Holy Spirit.
Now He gives a conditional blessing and it has to do in part with how we can have joy on even the worse days if we so choose.
John 14:21 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
The word ‘manifest’ here means emphanizō em-fan-id'-zo
From G1717; to exhibit (in person) or disclose (by words): - appear, declare (plainly), inform, (will) manifest, show, signify.
And now we come to John 15:10 and back to John 15:11:
John 15:10 – “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
In vs 10 Jesus tells us plainly if we obey His commandments, these are His teachings and kingdom principles, we will abide in His love.
Abide means: menō men'-o A primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.
And with this we come back to this primary truth: Spiritual joy is found in deep communication with Jesus, the Son of GOD.
But what is this communication based upon? Listen to John 17:20-24
John 17:20 - "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
John 17:21 – “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17:22 – “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
John 17:23 – “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (A reiteration of John 15:9)
John 17:24 - "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Summary: The joy Jesus offers is found by recognizing how much GOD loves us. This recognition comes by reading and thinking about what Jesus declared in John chapters 14-17.
Action to consider: Dare to write John 15:10-11 on a 3x5 card and read these daily until they become ingrained in your mind. At some point, these truths will release joy into your spirit.
Next week’s devotion: The will of GOD – Knowing & Obeying – Luke 6:46