The Lord says:
"For many of My people, I am releasing My Spirit and My power for you to break free from the spirit of depression! Let the 'dark clouds' in your life be blown away by My Spirit and My power! I am releasing also the supernatural joy that comes from Me! Receive the fullness of My joy, and rejoice!"
Yes, now is the time to not just rejoice, but to receive the joy that comes from the Lord!
Psalm 16:10-11 (NKJV) says, 'For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.'
'Sheol' here can speak of 'deadness, lifelessness, torment, depression'. But what is the antidote against any 'Sheol' while you are on earth? The answer is to come into the presence of the Lord. Why? Because in His presence is fullness of joy. That's what the Scripture says here. Full of joy. Not a little joy here and there. But full of joy.
The word 'joy' in Greek is 'chara'. It comes from the word 'chairo'. In the context of your relationship with the Lord, it can mean 'having a deep assurance inside you that the Lord delights in you, and the Lord is taking care of you and providing you well.' In other words, it is an assurance inside of you that the Lord loves you and the Lord delights in you, and that He is with you and He is for you. You see, if the Lord is for you, who (or what) can be against you? (Romans 8:31) Now, that is reason enough for you to choose to rejoice. Not just in this season of celebration, but also in every season of your life!
In Philippians 4:4, the apostle Paul wrote: 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!'
The word 'rejoice' here is the same word 'chairo' in Greek that we've read just now. In this verse, it can mean 'be joyful, be glad, be happy'. Notice this word 'rejoice' is mentioned not just once, but twice. It shows an emphasis here. The apostle Paul who wrote this verse certainly knows the power of rejoicing in the Lord. Yes, rejoicing in the Lord in all circumstances!
Beloved, as you keep receiving the joy from heaven and keep rejoicing in your life, choosing to rejoice, great things are going to happen in your life!
Do you notice the word 'always' in Philippians 4:4? It is 'aei' in Greek. It can mean 'always, a continued duration, a regular practice'. In other words, rejoicing in the Lord should be a regular practice in our lives!
As believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and because you have hope when you have Him, and you know that He has carried away all your sins, curse, shame, infirmities, diseases, and every form of grief and sorrow, you should be the happiest and shiniest of all people on earth! Yes, happy shiny people!
By the way, 'to practice' means 'to do something again and again'. As simple as that. Now, that's exactly what apostle Paul meant when he wrote Philippians 4:4.
Let's look at Philippians 4:4 again. 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!' You can therefore read it as: 'Be joyful, be glad, be happy in the Lord always (as a regular practice). Again I will say, rejoice! (be joyful, be glad, be happy!)'
So, what do you practice every day?
If you practice joy, you'll surely reap the reward of joy! That's how it works. We reap what we sow. On the other hand, if you practice sorrow, you'll reap even more sorrow! If you practice worry, everything in life will worry you! Because we reap what we sow. If you practice anxiety, everything you do will be filled with anxiety! If you practice anger, everything you see in life will anger you! Because we reap what we sow.
As you receive the joy of the Lord, sow joy. Be a gift to the people around you. It isn't just about you giving gifts to people around you. But you being a gift to them, especially your family and loved ones!
As a matter of fact, whatever we practice (i.e. whatever we do over and over again), we'll be 'good' at it! It's just like if you keep practicing your tennis strokes, you'll be good in your tennis strokes! So today, begin to choose to rejoice as your regular practice. It is a decision that only you can make.
Today, the Lord has spoken that He is releasing His supernatural joy upon you. Yes, inside of you. Your part is to let your heart be open. And as you keep receiving this joy from heaven, you are also releasing joy. Yes, releasing joy to others around you. That's how you can change the 'atmosphere' around you.
Today, the Lord has also shown you that no matter what you have been going through, you can still choose to rejoice. Remember, Nehemiah 8:10 says, 'The joy of the Lord is your strength'. It means when you have the joy of the Lord inside of you, you'll also have the strength to carry on and to look forward to many more good things in your life!
So, let this joy of the Lord fill your heart right now. Let this joy of the Lord overflow even into your mind and your emotions right now. This is your time to receive. And yes, this is also the time for you to give and to release the joy of the Lord to the people around you!
What is the reward of practicing joy in your life?
1. You'll have a cheerful countenance!
People are generally drawn to you like a magnet when you are happy and shiny. So, be that happy, shiny people, beloved! Where is the proof? Proverbs 15:13 says, 'A merry (joyful, glad, happy) heart makes a cheerful countenance...'
2. You'll have good health!
What's in the inside of you will affect what's in your physical body. If you are full of joy inside, if you are happy inside, if you are contented inside, your physical body will respond accordingly. Happy people are healthy people! Where is the proof? Proverbs 17:22 says, 'A merry (joyful, glad, happy) heart does good like medicine...'
3. You'll have the goodness of God surrounding you!
Wherever you are, the goodness of God seems to follow you. Where is the proof? Proverbs 15:15 says, 'All the days of the afflicted (depressed, disputing people) are evil, but he who is of a merry (joyful, glad, happy) heart has a continual feast.' This speaks of celebration. This speaks of the goodness of God. This speaks of enjoying the goodness of God.
