You may be in one of the toughest times of your life. God's joy will help you. The joy Holy Spirit gives you isn’t human, it doesn’t depend on circumstances. God’s joy makes even your worst days better. Let God restore His joy in your life. Here’s how.
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0:00 Joy Restored
1:42 Joy is the normal condition of a son or daughter of God.
2:38 Do You Struggle to Live in Joy
Joy No Matter What
6:02Joy comes from the presence of God.
7:21 Joy From Following God’s Path for Your Life
8:38 Joy Comes From Renewing Your Mind with God’s Word
9:33 Joy is contagious
9:50 Activation
*Joy Restored
You are born again, a son/daughter of God. But it will take time for God to restore the ravages of sin in your life. Your soul has been wounded.
After David committed adultery, he repented and wrote: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12
Restore - to bring back to a former, original, or normal condition
Joy is the normal condition of a son or daughter of God.
Psalm 16:11 “in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Adam and Eve were made to be like God – full of joy. So were you.
Christians should be the happiest people on earth. People should be running to us because we are filled with joy.
*Do You Struggle to Live in Joy?
Paul wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4
Rejoice simply means renew your joy. Renew your joy always. Always? In all circumstances? Yes!!
Paul was in jail when he wrote these words.
Is this just something we should try to do? How is that possible?
Think of God’s joy as a river that constantly flows through you. It’s true! Joy is always available. You can drink any time you want. It is always there. The choice is yours, but God’s river of joy never dries up. Rejoice!
This is a key that can unlock joy in your life.
*Joy No Matter What
I give 2 examples of Christians showing great joy while in prison (Paul and Silas, Acts 13) and persecuted believers in Philippi (Acts 16).
Biblical joy comes only from God. We can’t give ourselves God’s holiness or joy, etc. because we don’t have them. This is spiritual fruit Holy Spirit creates in us. See Galatians 2:22-23.
*Joy comes from the presence of God.
Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of his people.
As we praise and worship God, we experience His presence.
Psalm 16:11 says: In His presence is fullness of joy.
Praise and worship is a powerful way of renewing our minds. As we do, Holy Spirit releases joy within us.
There is nothing like the presence of the Lord. No thrill available to mankind, no adrenaline rush, no human pleasure, nothing compares to being in God’s presence.
People get healed during praise and worship. Sin habits are broken. Minds are renewed. Attitudes are changed. God does deep and wonderful things when we go into God’s presence and just stay there. This is the atmosphere of heaven. Joy is forged in a heart of praise.
*Joy From Following God’s Path for Your Life
Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
In the path God prepared for you, there is fullness of joy – God’s joy. Deep abiding joy.
In John 15:10-11, Jesus makes this even more clear.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
*Joy is Restored by Renewing Your Mind with God’s Word
Romans 12:2 tells us how let God restores joy in our lives.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. …
Renew - "make new", "to restore or replenish" your thoughts. Replace your old thoughts with God thoughts.
Emotions follow thoughts. Have you noticed? Change your thoughts and you change your emotions.
Recently, someone dear to me passed away. I cried and grieved. It hurt so much. At one point, I thought of something he did that made me smile. It was a great memory. My emotions changed because I changed my thoughts. I had great joy celebrating his life.
God restores (He renews) our joy as we renew our minds with the good things, the good times, the good people, and the good News God has given us.
James 1:17 tells us that all good things come from God. Think on these things. Fix your thoughts on the good things and joy will fill your hearts. (see Philippians 4:8)
*Joy is contagious. Hang out with people who are filled with God’s joy and you will catch their joy and learn how to carry it. We become like those we spend time with. See Proverbs 13:20
We literally become like the people we are with.
Activation - do it!