Find Joy
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
I Peter 1:7-9 NKJV
Along with our faith in Jesus, there is something that needs to be part of who we are.
This one we are called to obtain.
Joy Inexpressible!
The joy from this Good News is Glorious!
Human words cannot explain the joy that we receive from Jesus.
But many have lost their joy.
Biblical joy is more than an emotion.
It is so much more than a happy feeling.
Many seek happiness.
Happiness fades away. When we rely on the happiness of the Lord and that happiness goes away many are left no longer following Jesus.
Joy’s a lasting emotion that comes from the choice to trust that God will fulfill his promises. We have that joyful hope that what He says in His Holy Word is true. We believe that the promises He has made to us will come to pass.
We have lost our joy!
We are called to carry our Cross daily. We have been told to prepare for the things to come. The persecution, the Spiritual Battles, the trials and tribulations.
So we do these things in preparation for what’s to come.
In the process of getting prepared we push the Joy of the Lord out of our hearts!
We allow things to rob us of this joy!
Now we no longer rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what will continue to give us this joy.
True everlasting joy comes to every soul that can see and understand the liberation of this Good News!
The way we bring the joy back into our hearts and lives is by realizing who The Father is, what the Son has done and where the Spirit is guiding us. This will give us all an understanding of what we have been saved from and by Who!
Then all of us can have that renewed joy in our hearts to continue forth.
If you have never experienced that joy, now is the time!
Those faithful followers of Christ that know and understand the condemnation of their sins and the shame that comes with it can testify to the fact how this news is very Good News.
This Gospel is the announcement and the declaration of their Freedom that is found in this Good news. The liberation from sin, shame and condemnation. Because there is no condemnation in Christ!
Joy!
But sometimes these same redeemed souls can over time become numb to the fact. They become stale and stagnant in their walk with Jesus.
And then the joy of the Gospel fades away.
The unfortunate reality is that sometimes the joy of the Lord wears off.
The Good News doesn’t seem like it is no longer Good News but old news.
Many have lost their way to joy.
This joy is something that we must purpose ourselves to live in. Protecting it the same way we protect our faith.
What does the word Gospel mean?
It’s the Good News.
Glad tidings, it is something that brings delight, something to celebrate. Good News that brings joy.
It’s a statement that brings good news in hard times. It brings hope for the future.
It brings joy to the hearts of all those who need to hear good news.
This is the beginning of the news of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We have promises from Jesus himself in this world and the one to come!
We should have a joy so deep and rich that we suffer well.
Suffering Well is knowing and accepting that suffering of some kind will come.
Suffering is constant, it will always be a part of our imperfect world.
Suffering well is trusting God regardless of our circumstances.
The Gospel, if you allow it, will cause you to want to suffer well.
Because it is pleasing to the Father.
It will teach us how to stand in our faith. We don’t need all the answers when suffering suddenly comes. In fact, we won’t have all the answers. The answers are always going to be in the Good News of the Gospel. And the Gospels of Good News is all about Jesus Christ of Nazareth!
Exchange the happiness of your hearts to the joy of your soul!
Have that genuine faith in the promises of Jesus.
This is the Joy that is inexpressible. This is the joy that we should all be seeking today!
Purpose yourself to not allow the things of this world consume you so much that it pushes the joy of the Redemption of Jesus out of your life!
Fight to keep the joy of the Lord in your hearts!
Then we can suffer well for the Glory of the Kingdom with Great Joy knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us!
Pastor Ed
