JOY!
Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
August 6, 2024
Nehemiah 8-10, 1 Peter 1:8-9
The second fruit of the Spirit is JOY!
In this second installment of our meditations on the fruit of the Spirit, we are looking at Christian Joy. Is Christian Joy different than anyone else’s expression of joy? Well, according to what I read about the fruit of the Spirit and joy in particular, I see a constant that doesn’t exist with any other expression of joy. I’m not saying that all Christians have a full grasp of this fruit of joy, but at least we can address the challenge to be living expressions of the Joy of The Lord.
In the book of the prophet Nehemiah, we see that it is during a time of great sorrow, doubt and mourning that he tells the people to rejoice. Many of the exiles from Babylon had returned to Jerusalem only to find it in shambles, particularly the wall and the temple. These structures were significant to the people’s faith and confidence in God, so to have them practically destroyed only brought them great grief and doubt that these would be restored and worship resumed. In our text from Nehemiah we read; “They read from the book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving meaning so that the people could understand what was being read”. Let me pause here to remind you that they were upset at the reading of God’s Law because they had been away from it so long during their exile. Back then, it was not customary for conquered people to have access to their religious readings, hence, they forgot what God had given them in his Law (given through Moses on the mountain). They must have felt hopeless to ever be truly God’s people again, but wait, help was on the way; “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”
1 Peter 1:1-9 tells us that we can have faith and joy in Christ even though we may not see him now in the flesh, even though there is great suffering and even great persecution. True faith in The Lord rests in an unchanging trust which in turn gives us joy; “Though you have not seen him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls”. Robert Strand writes; “Christ was not only the man of sorrows, He was the epitome of joy in living! He is the ultimate example of joy in living and dying!” (Nine Fruits of the Spirit – Joy, pg.28). We can imagine Jesus smiling as the children were brought to him, laughing at wedding celebrations, embracing and crying tears of joy when his friend Lazarus returns to life. He cared for the widows, the sick, the women, the children and any who found themselves on the fringes of society. I want that kind of joy, because that is not a fleeting happy thing, that is eternal difference making. Do you have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in your heart, down in your heart to stay? You can, just ask Jesus into your heart and listen for his Holy Spirit to guide you into this joy.
Amen!