“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
(John 15:11 NKJV)
Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law."
Today's focus is JOY. Nehemiah 8:10 says that "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." If the joy of the Lord is our strength and we can all things through Christ, joy is a very important fruit of the Spirit.
What is joy? "Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world." (taken from desiringgod.org)
Joy comes from God. We don't have to make it happen, but we do have to consciously receive it, especially amid life's difficult situations. It is not fleeting or temporary. Isn't that a beautiful feeling?
"It is His joy that remains in us that makes our joy full."
- A. B. Simpson