The Lord is saying to you today:
"There's a fresh release of My power to destroy and break every yoke of sorrow right now. Receive the joy that comes from Me. Sorrow is being destroyed. Joy is taking over. For I am giving you a new lease of life. I am turning a brand new chapter in your life."
The Lord says further:
"As you receive this power to break free and walk in the new freedom that I've given you, do not look back. Let go of those past. Let go of those regrets. Let go of those disappointments. Let go of those bitterness. Let them all go. And look to Me. For I have new things that you have not known yet, as you look ahead of you."
Psalm 30:11 (NLT) says, 'You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.'
You may have gone through a time of mourning or sorrow (whatever it is, and different people may be in different situation), or you may have been trapped in your past, but God has a good news for you today. The power of sorrow is being broken! Declare that you are now set free!
You can receive the joy of the Lord right now. The joy of knowing the Lord is greater than all your sorrows on earth. The joy of knowing the Lord is here to restore and heal you. The joy of knowing there is new hope and purpose ahead of you. Amen!
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV) says, 'Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'
When you have the joy of the Lord in your life, you will have the strength to look ahead and to carry on in your life. You will have a new vigor. You will look forward to what's ahead of you!
Nehemiah wasn't just giving the people a mere suggestion. He didn't mean to say, "Hey, it's up to you whether you choose to stay in your sorrow, or you choose to receive the joy from the Lord." Instead, it was actually a command from the Lord. You see, God places great importance to your joy. He wants you to keep your joy, stay in your joy, and not lose your joy.
If you look at the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 that says, 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control', you will see how important joy is. It comes second only after God's love that never fails.
The word 'joy' here is 'chara' in Greek. It can mean 'great delight'. In the context here, it means 'delighting greatly in the Lord'. Another meaning of 'chara' is 'exceeding joy and gladness'. In other words, you have the exceeding joy and gladness inside of you. It is genuine. It is not a facade. It is not fake. And this exceeding joy and gladness inside of you is reflected in the cheerfulness outside of you, i.e. your countenance.
That's why Philippians 4:4 says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.' Notice the word 'rejoice' here is mentioned not just once, but twice. It shows the emphasis.
The word 'rejoice' here is 'chairo' in Greek, from the same word 'chara' that you saw just now.
What's the difference between 'chairo' and 'chara'? 'Chairo' is the verb, while 'chara' is the noun. It means 'to rejoice' is the verb, and 'joy' is the noun. Both these words 'chara' and 'chairo' come from the same ancient Greek root word 'char'. Interestingly, this word 'char' is also the root for the word 'charis' meaning 'grace' and 'favor'.
As you can see here, all these words are inter-connected. In the context of what God is saying to you today, to rejoice is the result of having the joy of the Lord inside of you, knowing that God's face is shining upon you, and you are now living in the richness of God's grace and favor. It's from the inside-out.
In short, when you know that God's grace and favor is with you, that He is for you and not against you, that His love for you never fails, joy begins to arise inside of you. And it shall be reflected outside of you!
You may ask, "So how do I keep this joy?"
Let's go back to Philippians 4:4. It says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.'
This word 'always' is so important in Philippians 4:4. What's the meaning of this word 'always'? It is 'aei' in Greek. It means 'always', of course. It also means 'a continued duration' or 'a regular practice'. Let's focus on the third meaning here. What is 'a regular practice'? There's an adage that says "practice makes perfect". There's a truth in it. It means the more you practice on something, the more you'll be good at it. In the context here, the more you practice joy, the more you'll be good at it!
You may ask, "But how do I practice joy?"
The answer lies in the word 'practice' itself. What is 'to practice'? 'To practice' simply means 'to do something again and again'. And that's exactly what apostle Paul meant when he wrote Philippians 4:4. To do something again and again! Rejoice in the Lord as your regular practice! Rejoice in the Lord again and again!
Beloved of God, you can change your life today. Take joy in knowing who you are in Christ. Take joy in knowing that God has loved you with an everlasting love. Take joy in knowing that God's grace and favor is super abundant in your life. Take joy in knowing that God has not forgotten you, and has good thoughts and plans for you, no matter what you've gone through in your past. Amen!
