JOY

In Galatians 5 we’re told that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Since it is compared to fruit, I can assume that joy is cultivated, over time, as I abide in Jesus.

It is a by-product of my walking with Him, ripening more-and-more as I head homeward to Heaven, where my joy will be full.

William MacDonald once said:

"The fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced when it is all sunshine. There must be rain and dark clouds."

If you garden, you know there are certain flowers that only bloom at night. Evening primrose is one and is strongly scented when it does.

It's in trials joy blooms, giving off a strong scent of Jesus.

James 1:2

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

I won't know if my spiritual garden is producing joy without trials.

I can't have a settled assurance God is at work and quiet confidence that all things work together for good unless those beliefs are tested by circumstances that seem otherwise.

Jesus is the first example of joy. He was filled with the Holy Spirit; or we might say, He had the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

His joy must have been 100%, never wavering; He expressed perfect joy.

Yet He wept on several occasions. One of His names is "the Man of Sorrows."

I can cultivate joy even when my circumstances make me weep.

Don't burden believers who are in trials by insisting they smile. Encourage them to endure - knowing that they are becoming more like Jesus and that all things work together, ultimately, for good.

“Like it or not, God is most revealed when in our weaknesses He is made to appear strong. It is not weakness when God chooses to not heal you; it is strength – or it is intended to reveal a strength that can only be the result of God in you.”