“The Secret to Joy”

Today the Lord was talking to me about joy and I said, God how can I write about joy when I feel so much pain. When I see people are suffering with illness and lack. God said, Joy is not happiness that depends on circumstances or our moods; happiness come and goes but joy remain steadfast and consistence. The problem is not the circumstances, it’s what you “Feel & see”. Joy comes from an “Internal knowing” that victory is my because of Christ. Our emotions or status in life does not change the disposition of joy or control our attitude. We can have joy in the most terrible situations and have an attitude of being on the mountain top even when everything in the naked eye seems to look like the valley. How can this be you may ask? Well if I have learned the art of walking in joy right I will say, we have joy because it comes from another source; “Not our own”. For this reason the word said, “The joy of the Lord is my strengths”Neh8:10. I often hear this phrase quoted but never truly understand why God said it until now. God told Nehemiah to rejoice because of His Word. In Neh8 Ezra the priest opened the book of the law and was reading it to the people who came out of captivity. As the law was being read, the people were mourning and God said to Ezra advice the people not to grieve because this day is sacred. Why? Whenever, God’s word is open joy comes; not from you but from the word of God. However we have to receive it. We can’t be in the word and not have joy. Reading or hearing God’s word and mourning at the same time is like “Light & darkness” which have no association. Light & darkness cannot co-exits with each other and same goes for joy & mourning. As I was trying to understand the true meaning of joy and how to release it in my life, I opened to the word of God. Not knowing that when I open the word “Joy” would come, I open the word. Instantly I was at peace; I was not seeing the circumstance or feeling the wait of the situations anymore. The word gave me solution and reminded me about the secret of God’s kingdom. Here is the secret of joy: Jesus said “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete”Joh16:23-24. Ask your heavenly Father for what you need and rejoice after you asked because Jesus said you have already received it.