How to find real joy.

[IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA]

Sometimes I feel I can give definition to any word. But often times the more you define this words and the more you experience your definition the clearer it becomes that you may not have the answer. How can one find real Joy?

[Carla]

Hello IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA,

I think often people mistake 'Joy' for 'Happiness'.
The enemy wants to steal our Joy..and he will send many fiery arrows with false accusations and doubt our way to try to achieve this just to get at Jesus.

'Joy' is not 'Happiness'... Joy is at the very core of who you are.. you know that you are 'In Christ'. Your circumstances may overwhelm you, you may go through moments of doubt, but at the centre of your 'innerman'... You know....that God will never forsake you, He remains faithful when we are faithless. His Power holds you and will never let you go. There will be times of rebuke and discipline, but that only proves His Love.

It is the blessed assurance that scripture speaks of.

Christ suffered and He knew that Joy that was set before Him.. He wants us to have that same assurance.

So you are right...it is not a word that we can write a 'cut'n'dry' definition for.. It is the blessed assurance of knowing Jesus, and that one day we will be with Him for all eternity, and God will 'wipe away every tear' from our eyes.

Blessings, Carla

[IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA]

Thanks carla for the reply. Sometimes there is an emptiness one feels even in our work with God that you often wonder if there is any experience that can match that word joy.
All the same thanks for that wonderful contribution.
God bless you

Ihuoma

[Carla]

Ihuona.. This devotional came today in my email from the 'Institute for Creation Research'...

Notice at the end .. 'The Joy of the Lord becomes our strength'
Blessings, Carla


All the People
July 3, 2009

"And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD commanded to Israel." (Nehemiah 8:1)

That was an amazing congregation there in the street of Jerusalem that came together that day just to hear Ezra read the Bible and explain its teachings. Nehemiah's previous chapter had just enumerated over 42,000 people who had returned from Babylon to rebuild the city.

Even if "all the people" is not meant to be understood literally, but representatively, this was still a very large assemblage. It even included all but the smallest children (Nehemiah 8:2), and they all stood up (!) throughout the reading and exposition (Nehemiah 8:5-7), from morning to noon (Nehemiah 8:3).

Presumably all they had was the Pentateuch (tradition says that Ezra, who was doing the reading, eventually compiled the rest of the books with it into the Old Testament canon), but this was enough, and "all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law" (Nehemiah 8:9). Ezra not only read the actual words, but also "gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading" (Nehemiah 8:8). He further explained that, although they had been guilty in breaking God's laws, they had been redeemed and God was fulfilling all His gracious promises in restoring them to their land. Thus they had joy as well as grief over their sins.

So should it be today. That is, when God's Word is simply read and explained, that should be enough both to generate sadness and repentance over sin, and also true joy in salvation. Then, as it was to the returning Jewish exiles long ago, "the joy of the Lord" becomes our "strength" for true worship and obedience (Nehemiah 8:10). HMM

Print this article | More Days of Praise articles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

[Roxliverpoolfan]

well for me when you say the word Joy I think of hangin out with my best friends and going to church and college when I have college and being sociable to people and talking to people

[IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA]

Yes Roxlivepoolfan, I believed that joy is experiencing love and comfort from the people you love. But often times the kind of people you desire around are not within your reach, while at times the people around do not fit into that space for one reason or the other. However I am beginning to understand that real joy no matter how bored or uninteresting my experiences have been can only be found in the presence of God.
This realization just dawned on me last night and I came to realize that my experiences can not negate the word of God.
Thanks for your wonderful reply.

[Helen Michelle Lawlor]

Hi there!

I believe to find real JOY you have to follow this:_

J - JESUS first
O - Others second
Y- yourself last

xxxxx

[IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA]

Thanks Helen for this wonderful insight. I think it is all about pleasing Him than what I feel. To find real joy is also by faith.

[felixpadua]

wow, what an an acronym for Jesus and Joy. i'll remember that.

[Carolyn Duplissey]

Though I experience it more and more I can only say it is my worship of God and thanking Him for creating me for His purpose which is to worship Him and to believe Him. He is an awesome God, isn't He? My favorite Psalm is 139. When I finally got this in my spirit God created me and knew me and loved me even when I was in my mothers womb, I realized I was significant to the world He allowed me in. My pastor is a worshiper and I have come to enjoy it so much just worshipping God. Life is hard even with God as friend but He knew it all and He is there with us. Remembering who He is and loving Him and believing His love for us can bring joy. "We live in the world but we aren't of it but we have battles which can make us stronger and more loving or hardened if we let it. God is the same yesterday, today and forever then I can trust in that and allow Him to fill me with His joy and worship Him. He is a loving God and He is love.

[IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA]

Thank you Carolyn. I think somethings we feel bored and life seems so uninteresting because maybe our love and faith in God is being tested. I have learnt to focus more on what the word of God says and believe in it than trying to find joy in the things that are happening around me.

[Gayla]

To me, joy was found as I first came to know this Christ that I now serve. Devouring his word, finding the answers to questions that I didn't even know I had, brought joy to my heart. Maintaining that joy thruout the years, has sometimes been a challange, however, I must have it...... without it, I am incomplete.

If I loose it, I immediately go to searching, to see where I left it or what took it from me. My joy, truly is my strength, and it is all wrapped up in my relationship with my Lord. He is my everything, and in him I delight.

Father, I pray for this precious woman,, to find the joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, that comes only from you, help her to abandon herself into your loving arms, to forget about everyone around her, and to soak up your presence, in which there is fullness of joy. Return unto her, the joy of her salvation, in Jesus name. Amen.

God bless you sister..... (((hugs))))

[IHUOMA C. UMEZURUMBA]

Thank you Gayla. As I read your mail this morning. I find a confirmation of what the Spirit put in my heart last night as i laid on my bed.
Suddenly this scripture became alive in my heart. "In his presence is the fullness of joy and at his right hand is pleasure evermore".
I then realized that what I feel I lack that makes my joy incomplete is not really what will give me the fullness of joy, but to remain in fellowship with him. Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.