Do Not Forget The Joy
Quite a few years ago I decided I was going to wholeheartedly live by faith in the Word of God. I told God that, as far as I was concerned, His Word was final and I would confess it the rest of my life regardless of what happened. That was the most important decision I have ever made.
Not too long after that, I decided that no matter what happened, whether I felt like it or not, I would walk in love. This decision was of great importance and not a difficult one because the Bible clearly says faith works by and through love. It will not work any other way.
6For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.
Those two decisions — to operate by faith in the Word of God and to walk in love — both went hand-in-hand and are unquestionably the two most important decisions I have ever made in my life.
Nonetheless, God recently pointed out to me that there was something I had been leaving out. What was it? It was the force of joy. He told me I have no right to walk by faith and love and just leave joy dormant in my spirit because it is too important.
As God taught me about it, I soon came to realize that joy is an essential part of a life of victory. Without it, I might have an occasional triumph now and then, but I would not be able to sustain them. They would quickly slip away or dissipate.
The Bible again tells us that joy is what gives us the strength to hold steady when the circumstances get rough. Joy gives us the ability to laugh in the devil’s face when he starts trying to knock us off our faith. Joy gives us a kind of staying power that will make us winners again and again.
10And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.
To summarize, we must make a commitment to God that we are going to walk, not only in faith and in love but in joy as well. Furthermore, we need to make it a point to rejoice in the Lord always, and there will not be anything the devil can do or say to steal our victory from us.
God Bless!
“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible”
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