God wants you to have joy but the enemy doesn't. The enemy wants you to forfeit everything God has given you. The enemy is called a thief and his goals are to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus says that He comes so that we may have abundant life.
Joy is one of the greatest gifts God has given to his children. Joy is not based upon circumstances, relationships, or things. Joy is rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Are you aware of what God has done for you through Jesus Christ? Are you grateful? When you think about the Lord and all that He's done for you, joy should overflow from your heart.
Joy doesn't come from how much stuff we have, where we live, or what we feel. God gives to us joy through the understanding of Jesus Christ and all that He's done for you. This type of joy isn't temporary or based on what we get or popularity. Joy comes from your relationship with Jesus.
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness."
If the enemy steals your joy, he can make you weak, distract your focus, and make you ineffective in your walk with God. So what do I do?
- Recognize where your joy comes from. Nehemiah 8:1-10 The joy of the Lord comes from what the Word of God says. You won't lack anything if your life is rooted in God. Testing and trials will come, but the word tells us that after we suffered for a short while, God will strengthen you and establish you and perfect you. You will be complete one day.
- Realize that the enemy attacks your joy because it's your strength. The joy of the Lord is your strength. John 10:10 Have you ever felt like the evil people in the world are succeeding and receiving everything good on this side of earth? That's temporary, but eternity is life or death. "What has separated you from God? What do you tend to put before Him? Your spouse? Your children? Your job? When you lose those things, you still need to praise the Lord for all He's given you - eternal salvation!"
- In every circumstance, we need to praise the Lord and say "hallelujah". Are you ready to praise the Lord even in difficult circumstances? "If He can bless you to see another day, then you can fight another day."
- "When you lose your joy, your worship becomes heavy, your prayer becomes dry, your faith becomes weak. Rest in the joy that you have in the presence of God."
- Refill your joy in the presence of God. Psalm 16:11 As long as you tap into the presence of God, you will always have joy. Just like you need to fill your tank with gas to get your car moving, you need to fill your heart and mind with the presence of the Lord to keep yourself moving. Your tank will go empty if you are not constantly in the presence of the LORD.
- How do you keep your tank full of joy?
- Study the scriptures - read it with a friend or alone over your life
- Worship the Lord - through praise and thanksgiving with prayer
- Guard your environment - from negativity, gossipers, lies
- How do you keep your tank full of joy?
Don't allow the enemy to steal your joy.