Filled up with joy

Finding God’s joy in abundance

Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 “and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 “And you are witnesses of these things. 49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” 50 ¶ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Is your life one of rejoicing? Do you get up each morning and think of how blessed you are by God? God intended His people to be filled with joy, yet many Christians don’t have this kind of joy in their hearts and minds. Why might this be?

Looking at Luke 24 above, their Joy was directly related to their time with our Lord and what He had said to them. One could make it into a formula. Time with God + hearing God’s Word = Joy This may seem too simple, but it is where the greatest Joy can be found as a Christian.

John 17:12 “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 ¶ “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Spending time alone with God, having a personal Bible study with Him is one of the most important aspects of finding joy in our lives. The more time we spend in God’s Word alone with Him the more we will find the intimate relationship that God intended for us, and the joy we are to experience.

John 15:9-11 ¶ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

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. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

The Bible teaches us the need to obey what God’s Word tells us. Obedience to God’s Word is paramount to finding the Joy Christ talked about and promised us. We simply cannot expect to walk in the abundance of Joy Christ offers while we are ignoring His Word in our lives.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

The Bible also teaches us that we great joy as we walk in the Spirit. Joy is a product of a surrendered heart to Christ, and a heart that is under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Romans 15:10-13 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” 11 And again: “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” 12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” 13 ¶ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We see in the Bible over and over that a Christian’s joy is directly related to their personal walk with Christ. The more you love Christ, the more your heart is fully surrendered to Him the more Joy you will find. The joy of the fully surrendered Christian can be so great that is even beyond the ability for a human to express, as Peter tells us in his first gospel.

A Christian whose heart is fully surrendered to Christ can be left unable to find words to express it because it is so wonderful.

1 Peter 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

This inexpressible joy Peter talks about, the Apostle John helps us see further on how to achieve it. In 1 John he expresses to us with great excitement that our joy may be full when we have a relationship with Christ that is right.

1 John 1:4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

He goes on to explain to us in 1 John that this joy is directly related to our fellowship with Christ, our personal relationship to Him. In chapter 2 he explains how by keeping God’s Word we are in Him, and my dear friend if we are walking with Him, we are in Him, we will have the fullness of the Joy John is writing about.

1 John 2:3-5 ¶ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

Why would a Christian settle for a joyless life when Christ offers us a heart that can be filled up with joy? What is holding you back from experiencing such joy? Pray for God’s guidance in finding this joy for you.