THE JOY OF THE LORD Kay Keith Peebles 12/13/2019 19.44
All of my life I had sung Christian songs about the Joy of the Lord. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart… The joy of the Lord is my strength…. The chorus was: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha… And of course, Joy to the world the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing! The problem was, I did not have the Joy and I didn’t have a clue what it meant.
It wasn’t until 1993 when I personally experienced the real Joy of the Lord and it changed my life forever. The Holy Spirit had been revealing Himself to me for several years and I had begun to experience His presence daily. The Lord was very real to me but life was still challenging. I experienced fear, discouragement and a lot of “religious” ideas and practices that were empty. All of these things distracted me from being able to experience the Joy of the Lord.
I began attending daily revival meetings in Lakeland Florida which was 45 minutes from my home. The Joy broke out freely in the meetings but all I could do was cry. I felt no Joy although I deeply longed for it. I saw the darkness of religion without relationship with God and the emptiness of living in the flesh rather than by the Holy Spirit. I wept and wept for six weeks. I repented of religion that was judgmental and condemning of others and prayed for the Lord to give me love and compassion for others. Every meeting those of us who wanted prayer were lined up and the revival preacher would lay hands on us all. Sometimes the crowd was so big it took a couple of hours before everyone was reached.
One day, I lined up for prayer as usual but did not anticipate what the Lord was going to do. That day the preacher did not come to my line. One of his associates prayed for me and I fell to the ground as if I had been thrown down. It was the Spirit of the Lord who came upon me powerfully. I was not injured, I was transformed! I began to laugh uncontrollably and continued for 45 minutes non-stop. During that time I saw a vision of a giant dragon (Satan) who appeared to be 13 stories high. I was standing right beneath him and seemed to be only two inches tall in comparison. The dragon looked at me with fierce hatred. He opened his mouth exposing his long serrated teeth and a huge burst of fire spewed forth toward me. Rather than feeling terrified, I began to laugh uncontrollably at him. I felt absolutely no sense of fear. I was overwhelmed with the feeling he couldn’t touch me or hurt me. My confidence was the result of the power of the Joy of the Lord surging through me. It was as if I understood that God was with me and I was therefore victorious over any foe, including the most powerful of all! After that experience I began to research the Joy of the Lord in the Bible to better understand what this awesome gift entailed.
The Apostle Paul explained the characteristics of a disciple of Christ that is guided by the Holy Spirit in Galatians Chapter 5. He listed the works of the flesh that lead to eternal destruction in verses 19-21. He then listed the Fruit of the Holy Spirit which are evidence the Holy Spirit is at work in one’s life. “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, Joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), and self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. Galatians 5:22-23.
The people of Israel knew how to rejoice! God always richly blessed them with every need as well as His presence when they walked faithfully before Him. Although that does not mean we won’t experience trials, grief and pain; knowing He is with us can bring us great Joy. “And at that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. The eighth day they made a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar and the feast each for seven days. And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to Israel His people. Thus Solomon finished the Lord’s house and the king’s house; all that
had planned to do in the Lord’s house and his own house he accomplished successfully. And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place. For I have chosen and sanctified (set apart for holy use) this house, that My Name may be here forever and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually. 1 Chronicles 7:4-16. See also the blessings in Deuteronomy 28:4-8.
What an awesome promise the Lord gave to Israel and all who believe in Him- provision, protection and healing. When we serve the Lord in obedience through love, putting Him first in our lives, we can walk in great Joy! He will defend us, guard and protect us and restore us when we fall.
“Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat leading them, to Jerusalem with Joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the House of the Lord. And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.” 2 Chronicles 10:27-28.
“If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. When you bear much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commandments and live in His love. I have told you these things that My joy and delight may be in you and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” John 15:11
When our focus is on the Lord and eternity, the things of the world and the problems we experience here seem nothing in the light of the promise of eternal life with our God. This life is temporal but heaven is eternal. That brings great Joy!
“And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own soul, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts]. John 17:13.
“But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits. For You, Lord will bless the righteous [him who is upright and in right standing with You]; as with a shield You will surround him with goodwill (pleasure and favor).” Psalm 5:11-12.
“Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold…” Nehemiah 8:10-17.
The writer of the book of Hebrews admonished us all. “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith and is also its Finisher. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.
Because our sins are forgiven we can rejoice! Because God is our refuge and our strength, we can rejoice! Because our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life we can rejoice! Because the world and this life are temporary but heaven with Him is forever, we can rejoice! Because we can have continual fellowship with His Presence we can rejoice! Because the sickness, suffering and pain of this age will pass away and there will no more be weeping for all eternity, we can rejoice! Because we are loved (beloved) by God and Jesus is coming back for us, we can rejoice!
Joy to the world, the LORD is come; let earth receive her KING!
