Joy in the Holy Spirit
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For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Romans 14:17-18 NIV
If you follow Jesus, you have entered the Kingdom of God and know the King personally. His Spirit lives in you! The Kingdom of God doesn’t originate from the earthly realm where we eat and drink natural food, but from the heavenly realms– the realm of the Spirit. Joy in the Holy Spirit is only found in the atmosphere of the heavenly realms– the the presence of God Himself. This is real joy!
Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:1-2 NASB
Being Honest Before God
In the summer of 2019, I was enjoying growth in my relationship with the Lord. But I still had not received the big breakthrough I had been praying for. I asked Him if there was anything in me I had not surrendered. Not able to clearly hear God’s counsel at that time, I looked to His Word.
Reading about forgiveness, I asked myself the question, “Is there anyone I need to approach to ask for their forgiveness?” Reflecting back through my life, I remembered times when I should have apologized and didn’t. As I’ve matured in the Lord, asking forgiveness in a more timely manner has become easier for me. I’ve learned from experience that putting it off is not worth the anguish of wrestling with the Holy Spirit!
A Season Of Repentance
I asked Holy Spirit to bring people into my path that I may have offended years earlier. God answered that prayer, making several encounters a blessed event– not bringing shame upon anyone. It took great courage and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, but I was being obedient to His Word. I was walking out my repentance through loving action. It was a very humbling season and an uplifting one at the same time.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:10 KJV
I wanted everything Jesus had for me so I could be free from bondage and free to be a blessing in His Kingdom. Wondering if maybe my lack of breakthrough had to do with an unfinished apology I scoured my heart. But I truly didn’t know when to stop apologizing. I had told the Lord many times for several years, “I’ll do whatever You say, even if it’s embarrassing, just please make Your will plain to me.” Since I wasn’t hearing His voice about the matter, I just kept looking to His Word.
God’s Grace
God’s Word says that all my sins are forgiven because my faith is in Jesus Christ and His gift of grace. I had purposefully been renewing my mind in God’s grace for several years, using scripture and prayer. We cannot earn our salvation. It is a gift from God!
I Must Forgive
God’s Word also says that if I don’t forgive others, He won’t forgive me. I had deliberately gone through the prayerful process of forgiving everyone I could think of. “I forgive them and bless them in Jesus name,” became a secret prayer for anyone I encountered whose actions didn’t reflect the love of God– whether I knew them or not.
For years, when another driver was annoyed by my good driving habits, I would sarcastically say, “Go on… get your ticket,” and I secretly wanted to see them pulled off to the side of the road getting a ticket. I never got the twisted enjoyment of seeing that, and I’m thankful now!
Forgiveness has become my lifestyle. Mayhem drivers now speed away with a blessing of love and protection from God. In fact, I pray regularly for the safety of everyone on the roads that my family and I travel. It is such a joy to know the Lord is blessing everyone in my path!
I Must Seek Reconciliation
God’s Word says that if someone has something against me, I need to try to make things right between us. Only then can I bring my heart to God in worship. This is a command. It was this scripture that I became worried about. How do I go back and apologize for every careless thing I may have said or done years ago? Maybe people were offended at me without me even knowing it? I wanted to be obedient no matter the cost, but as I continues in this quest, anxiety and condemnation began to rise in my soul.
Righteousness, Peace And Joy
Anxiety was very unusual for me at this season in my life, so this was puzzling. The Lord had been giving me His wonderful peace as I grew closer to Him. As I seek the Kingdom of God, I know that righteousness, peace and joy should be reining in my heart. So I asked God, “Should I consider this season of repentance over and accept your peace, or should I continue pursuing reconciliation?” I cried out to Him and asked for a clear response. That very night He gave me two dreams!
The Rejoice Dream
I was standing in front of an old gold couch in a room with lots of people. The couch was against the wall. I wore a beautiful dress fitted at the top with a full and flowing skirt that went just below the knee. The dress was dark purple, almost black, fabric. The under-layer was silk-like and the outer layer was sheer. Embroidered green vines decorated the sheer outer layer. Also, there were several very large colorful words embroidered randomly around the skirt representing the “flowers” or “fruit” of the vines.
As I picked up the sheer fabric I saw the word, “Rejoice” embroidered in beautiful colors. It was situated over my right thigh. I sat down on the couch next to a lady who was to my right. I intentionally flung the part of the skirt with the word “Rejoice” over her legs. The dream was over.
The Puppy Dream
The same night, God gave me another dream. I was seated and was gently petting a sweet little soft brown puppy that was sitting in my lap. I felt peaceful and happy. That was the whole dream.
Answered Prayer
The Lord answered my question! My striving to correct the past was over and the anxiety lifted! Joy in the Spirit began to rise. The oil of joy replaced my mourning and He dressed me with a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3. Holy Spirit showed me that He sees my heart as gentle, nurturing and kind. God was telling me to be seated in the joy of His salvation!
We Have Been Set Free!
There is a time to weep, mourn and wail as James chapter 4 clearly states. But then, after you have humbly repented before the Lord, He will lift you up. Do not keep mourning over your past when He has released you from it. Thanks to Jesus, our sins and failures are gone forever! Rejoice in the Lord!
Rejoice in Your Trials!
I rely on your constant love; I will be glad, because you will rescue me. Psalm 13:5 GNT
In times of great trial, don’t let the enemy distance you from the joy of God’s presence. We will come through to the other side with a greater strength and anointing for His Glory! James 1:2-7
The Old Testament Festivals
Even in the Old Testament, God commanded His people to rejoice in Him during several festivals each year. God designed these festivals to increase our faith in His goodness, mercy, salvation and love.
Rejoicing In The Presence
When the priests brought the ark of the covenant back into Jerusalem, King David ordered the musicians to make a joyful noise! The people of God were shouting, playing harps, blowing trumpets and horns and crashing cymbals. King David danced wildly and celebrated the Presence of the Lord being brought back to the Temple in the Ark of the Covenant.
We have God’s Spirit living inside us all the time! I believe we do not fully comprehend Who we carry within us and the grace we have received, because if we did we would be dancing like David all the time!
Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 AMP
Rejoice In Times Of Rebuilding
When the Israelites lived in exile in Babylon, the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple were torn down. Later, Nehemiah, Ezra and others rebuilt them but not without opposition from their enemies. Nehemiah and his crew prevailed because they kept trusting in the Lord.
They all met together to give thanks to the Lord for the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall. Ezra began reading the Word of God and had to tell the people to stop crying. Perhaps they were grieving over their past failures and lost opportunities. God ordered them to rejoice and throw a party– complete with food! God moves forward in joy and we should follow His lead!
When Our Walls Break Down
When the walls of our relationship with the Lord break down, the season of repentance and rebuilding is very important. Even in that season, the Lord loves us. He is there to guide and strengthen us. The kingdom of darkness will push hard against those who fight to stay unified with God and His people. So remember to rejoice in Jesus! The Lord is our protector, wall of fire and our shield!
Rejoice In The Battle
The armies of the enemy were encroaching upon God’s people. The Lord spoke through Jahaziel to Jehoshaphat in the company of the people of God. He said that the Lord would be with them and would fight the battle for them. They all fell down with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord.
The next day, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord. The singers went out at the head of the army singing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.’ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord sent another nation against those who were invading God’s people. The enemies of God’s people became confused and slaughtered each other.
Rejoicing in the Lord by genuinely singing praise from the heart is one of God’s powerful weapons against the devil!
God’s Joy
You lead me in the path of life. I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight. Psalm 16:11 NET
Rejoicing in the Lord helps open us up to the realm of God’s presence and it is He who gives us joy! All human efforts to create joy pale in comparison to the joy of the Holy Spirit.
This dream was not just for me but for the Lady sitting beside me; the Bride of Christ. In a culture where depression and anxiety are so common, the Lord is urging His Bride to be clothed in His joy. We are seated with Him in Heavenly places! Nothing could be more amazing than that! I pray that the sound of rejoicing will be heard around the world as the Bride of Christ is filled with the joy of the Lord!
God loves you so much and He invites you to know Him personally. For a better understanding of who Jesus is and how you can answer His invitation of love and grace, go to Meet Jesus on the menu bar.
