The Joy of the Lord

And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
I Thessalonians 1 v 6

People receive the Word when they are in much pain and affliction. The Word acts as a balm of Gilead to heal every affliction. Jesus is referred to as the balm of Gilead as He could heal every type of disease- skin, eyes, ears, limbs, blood, minds and broken hearts. Sometimes, after believing in Jesus, people face much affliction or trials and tribulations. What gives us the strength to face such afflictions? It is the Holy Spirit who fills us with offsetting joy. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to abound in hope. As we believe the Word, God fills us with peace and joy.

A follower of Jesus has to endure troubles. He needs to be joyful even as he undergoes such afflictions. The afflictions are meant to test our faith and to strengthen it further. It is intended to produce patience and character in us. It also plays the role of purifying or pruning our faith to be more fruitful. It will also enable us to comfort those who face similar situations with a sense of empathy and real understanding. Afflictions are allowed to check if the soil of our hearts is good, to churn and turn it and see if the worries and pleasures of this world would like thorns choke the good seed of faith. God is not a joy-killer. He does not find pleasure in seeing us sad or depressed or dejected. Many promises in scripture end in the phrase, “that your joy may be full.” He does not want our cup of satisfaction or joy to be half full or half empty but overflowing.

Joy referred to in this uni-verse is not a stimulus-driven joy but a faith-produced and Spirit-sustained steady hope. The joy that Paul wrote about is not the transient joy or happiness we feel when something pleasant or good happens to us. It is not dependent on happenings but is dependent on our covenant relationship with God. It is not a joy that is dependent on circumstances. Scripture exhorts us to be “joyful in all circumstances” not just when things are going the way we want them to go. Such inexplicable abounding joy is a sign that the kingdom of God is established in us. It cannot be explained in terms of natural or logical reasons. The joy of the Lord is our strength. It is a supernatural joy. It is also the source of our strength in times of affliction. It comes from an anointing of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When we believe in Jesus, we are declared righteous before God. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we are anointed with the Holy Spirit. The good root- faith in Jesus- gives rise to peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Implicit in this is that whenever we are facing challenges, we are also imbued with hope that things will turn out alright or better, that we will be victorious, that we will overcome the difficulties we are currently facing. The promises of God contained in His Word are also a source of great joy and hope. Even before our eyes perceive the fulfilment of our hope, these promises water our faith and opens an inner fount or spring of joy and strength deep within our spirits.

Prateep V Philip