Hosanna Restoration Church

The joy that comes when we finally open our eyes and see Jesus, is a joy that we should never let go of. When I speak of seeing Jesus I am talking about that day when our eyes are open and we come to know Him as Savior. That is a time when true joy enters our lives, and Jesus assures us that no one can take that from us. The trouble is, we often let go of it!

The Joy that Jesus gives us is not a feeling, it is a fact. When we hold on to the fact, it will produce the feeling. There are many examples in the Bible where we see outside facts or influences attempting to steal the true joy from people, but those who fought through won great victories. We can do the same!

David would often lament over things and then speak to himself and remind himself to praise the Lord and his joy would be restored. If you look at the hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, you will see that in a sense each of them had to overcome things that came up in their lives trying to steal their joy. We all know that Jesus said we would have trials in this world but his solution was to rejoice knowing that He had it handled.

Experiencing Joy is something we all love, however living in it requires effort. First and foremost, we must be convinced that what Jesus said is just as true for us today as it was for His followers when He said it. In other words, we must be convinced that this joy is ours. When we know something is ours and where it is, all we have to do is put it to work for us.

Jesus knew first hand the limits that humanness put on us. He knew how much a person must depend upon the Holy Spirit. He knew how important it was to be directed continuously by God. He never intended that we try to get all we needed out of a book. He intended that we live by the Living Word. God intended that we live by the words written on our hearts. The book helps us get those things opened up like an icon on your desktop, but without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and the inward witness we can never live in the way God intended.

Immediately after Jesus told them this, He laid a giant sized truth on them. He told them that they would be able to use His name and go directly to God. In fact, He told them that he was not going to ask God for them. They had witnessed how He went to God and now He was telling them to go the same way and expect the same results.

In this I see a key to maintaining joy as well as to regaining joy that we have let go of. There nothing that gives me more joy that knowing that God has heard me and seeing the answer to our conversation manifested. The anticipation of the manifestation can be just as great when we wait with confidence. Jesus said this joy was ours. Don’t let go!