The Joy of the Lord is what you need to enjoy life on earth. Are you full of joy? Are you seeking joy from the Lord?
More...
Maybe you’ve tried to fulfill yourself with frivolous replacements like social stature, overeating, an achievement for success or any other thing that is short-lived outside of the Lord.
Ultimately, you know that there is no fulfillment with those outside events. The enjoyment that you receive from those external affairs disappears quickly.
As a result, you have an inner longing for peace or something that is more sustainable, like the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Everything about you yearns for joy. If you want to function in high spirits on this earth, then you need to enlighten your mind and receive strength from God to withstand the opposing forces that have saturated the earth.
Thus, the only way to have strength is through the joy of the Lord. Read Nehemiah 8:10.
The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength Sermon
Stephen Altrogge of The Blazing Center shares how to experience the Lord's joy in “The Joy Of The Lord: How To Experience It Every Day” Here are some key highlights that I found of interests.
Key Takeaways
Experience the Lord's Joy Through the Following:
If I want to experience the joy of the Lord that is my strength, I must seize the corner of Jesus’ garment. I must cling to him through prayer, asking him to reshape my day and give me his overwhelming, satisfying joy.
I experience that joy through the power of the Holy Spirit. If I want to experience more joy, I simply need to ask the Spirit to reveal more of Christ to me.
How do I experience hope, which is another form of the joy of the Lord? By intentionally calling to mind and meditating upon the character of God.
On the flip side, if I don’t call to mind the character of God, I will be sorely lacking hope.
The Lord's joy is mighty. He is your everlasting source. Joy is what you need to stay aligned in a misaligned world system.
Joy, along with love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness are fruits of the spirit and spiritual forces for the born-again believer in Jesus Christ. Read Galatians 5:22.
Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge says that the joy from the Lord can give you a surge of strength in "Joy – Fruit of the Spirit Bible Verse"
Surge of Strength
The joy of the Lord can really give you an incredible surge of strength in your own daily walk with God – especially when you have to take on some really tough situations.
This is why each Christian should work very closely with the Holy Spirit in not only getting Him to release His joy into their system, but to also keep it running through them on a very regular and consistent basis.
Experience Joy by Saturating Your Mind on the Word of God
Joy has a relationship to faith, and it is effortless to apply joy and faith when you saturate your mind on the written word of God.
You won’t find joy or faith from any other source. Let’s look at two scriptures to back this statement up. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Romans 15:13 states, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Therefore, if you have faith, then you can expect joy to move through your spirit, soul, and body.
If you diligently explore the Bible for different revelations of Jesus and the discovery of God, the Lord's joy will begin to rise in your spirit.
Thus, if you continue in the Bible, there is nothing that will keep you down mentally or physically.
Rise Higher and Higher
You have to rise higher and higher mentally, and the only way to do this is to meditate diligently on God’s word day and night. It is a process to seek and understand the written word of God.
You have to fellowship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. People are always searching for victory, strength, and joy, whether they realize it or not, and the only way to victory is through Jesus.
As stated above, people may seek joy through outside events. However, the spiritual things of God are the only way to find the inner joy that they can't find through the natural elements of this world.
The Bible activates your joy. You unleash your joy by praising, worshiping, and feeding on the written word of God.
Dr. Michael Youssef of One Place notes that your praise can be simple and that God loves you in “Experiencing God's Power through Praise”
Simple Praise
Your praise can be as simple as this: "To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God."
Let praise steady your heart when trouble comes and gain God's perspective on your current situation.
Take time to thank God for what He has done for you. He has saved you and given you an opportunity to know and love Him.
Remember He loves you with an unconditional love and will not withhold His love from you.
In Summary
You have to seek out what you are looking for in the Bible. Once you find the answer to your request, then you need to pray and meditate on those words until the words saturate your heart and soul.
You will begin experiencing the Lord's joy moving in you.
Now once that joy is moving, you release your request your petition in faith.
Next, you give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Finally, send your shouting, praising, and dancing unto the Lord.
Rejoice in the Lord. Joy is a blessing, and joy is also a weapon of enormous power.
You must use your joy as a step of belief in the truth of the word of God over whatever you may feel at the time in your circumstances.
You have to believe it and receive the fruit of the spirit to your inner being. You praise, shout, dance, and expect the joy of the Lord to do its work in your life.