JOYfilled Life - "J" is for Jesus

I always tell my children that when they want to have JOY in their lives they need to think about what Jesus would do in that situation.  For their minds at this time, that works.  However, as we get older, we are able to find joy IN Jesus through many different things.

WE HAVE JOY IN HIS WORD

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11

How do we know His word unless we read it?  How else are we going to develop an intimate relationship with God if we don't spend time with Him?  David found joy in God's word and he hid it in his heart so it would always be with him.  When we are in His word we find out what He wants us to do, so we can live a life pleasing to Him.

WE HAVE JOY IN SALVATION

From finding joy in His word, we learn what we must do to gain salvation as well as forgiveness.

Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Psalm 51:8, 12

Because of God's willingness to cleanse us from our sins - not just once, but daily, should give us great joy!

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 3:18

We should work in gaining complete confidence in God and it will continue to grow as our relationship with Him deepens - just like Habakkuk.  We can have the same confidence he had in our "God of (our) salvation."

WE HAVE JOY IN HIS PRESENCE

For You have made him most blessed forever;

You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.

Psalm 21:6

Just being in God's presence gave David joy.  How are we in His presence?  Do we find joy in going and being there?  Do we look forward to it?  Do we seem glad when we are there singing praises to Him?  It's during this time that we are able to find a few things only found in Christ.

You have put joy in my heart . . . .

Psalm 4:7

And I will go to the altar of God,

To God my exceeding joy;

Psalm 43:4

We realize that our hearts can be full of His joy and that we aren't able to live without Him.  He and He alone is our exceeding joy.

The joy of the Lord is your strength . . .

Nehemiah 8:10b

We also realize when we are with God that He becomes our strength to overcome anything that comes our way.  What a joy to know that we can be "more than conquerors" (Romans 8:37) because of Him.