JOY IN THE LORD
"... in thy presence is fulness of joy; ... " - Psalms 16:11 (KJV)
The Lord is the Source of the Christian joy:
"for the LORD had made them joyful," - Ezra 6:22 (KJV). Elsewhere, it is written:
"for God had made them rejoice with great joy:" - Nehemiah 12:43 (KJV). Again, "And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:" - Psalms 105:43 (KJV).
Joy, for the Christian is most essential, hence the Lord has ensured that at the second birth, we all have it in our recreated spirits. Joy is one of the fruit of the human recreated spirit (Gal 5:22). To possess joy in the Lord is evidence of our salvation. The Bible speaks of our believing in Jesus Christ Whom we have not seen in the following manner:
"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" (1 Peter 1:8). This is joy that is indescribable, with no words to express it. This is the lot of every child of God, both at salvation and thenceforth.
We recollect that when Samaria received the Lord, the Bible records the following:
"And there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:8)
Apart from being evidence of salvation, joy, for us as Christians is of utmost importance because, in the midst of trials and temptations, the devil could get us discouraged. In the Book of Philippians for instance, Apostle Paul made profuse references to "joy", "rejoice" and "rejoicing". Why the emphasis on joy and rejoicing in the Lord? Because the joy of the LORD is the strength of His people (Neh 8:10). Joy in the Lord is a strong defense against satan. The Bible says, "for you it is safe'' (Phil 3:1). In other words, you are on a safer ground when you function in the fullness of joy. Never allow satan to steal your joy!
We joy in the Lord because of the immense assurance we have about His promises. The moment we lose our joy, that's clear evidence of our loss of faith in the Lord; and as Christians, we become most vulnerable to satanic oppressions when we lose our joy in the Lord. It is at this point that depression sets in.
Our Scripture for the day says that
"... in thy presence is fulness of joy; ... " (Ps 16:11). It's the same thing about peace. The Bible says that
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3). To enjoy the fullness of joy in the Lord therefore, you need to stay constantly in God's presence.
Maintaining constant fellowship with the Lord is the best way to avert or avoid depression.
If you’re depressed, it shows that you’re not in the presence of the Lord. He’s with you, but you’re not with Him because something else has you occupied. Each time you experience depression, get back in God’s presence and you’ll find fullness of joy! Praise the Lord!
PRAYER:
Dear Father, thank You for giving me joy. I remain steadfast, believing in You. The joy You have given me has become my strength in the Lord against satanic oppressions in life, in Jesus name.