Galater 5,22
Nehemiah 8:10
The joy of the Lord is your strength
Acts 5:40-42
So they agreed with him 40 and called in the apostles, beat them and commanded them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 But they departed from the Sanhedrin rejoicing, because they had been worthy to suffer reproach for His name's sake, 42 and they continued to teach and preach the gospel in the temple and here and there in the houses every day from Jesus Christ.
This joy that comes from relationship with God is more than happiness. When someone laughs, sings, and dances, they are most likely happy. This happiness, visible to the outside world, is mostly a temporary state. Being happy is more of an inner state, a consequence of the certainty: Today I am safe in God, my past is in good hands with him, my future is in his hands! And out of that joy the disciples acted. Neither insults nor prohibitions or beatings could take away this joy from them. As we read these verses in Acts, we must keep in mind that these beatings were given with the aim of humiliating and intimidating the disciples. And yet the disciples left the council full of gladness. What a humiliating situation, but for the High Council.
If we take the time to imagine this situation, we get an idea of the strength of the joy that filled her. This was not an earthly joy, it was grounded in their faith and the love they felt for their Lord Jesus Christ. You know that the Bible says nothing about faith protecting you from suffering, worries or hardships or from blows of fate. But we have the Holy Spirit on our side. The Comforter or the Helper. We can therefore assume that the fruits of the spirit should serve to ensure that we are and remain preserved and protected. In every situation. Joy is something that can be found with God and He wants us to be happy. And that joy is a weapon against suffering. The joy of the Lord is your strength. So this strength comes from the joy of the Lord. God equips us with this joy so that we can endure in times of suffering.
I don't know if you have ever experienced a situation where someone who is being abused responds with kindness and calm and inner peace. This form of reaction to something negative disarms the other person. The basis for such a reaction is a deep joy that is dormant within us. You make it possible.
A Christian does not lose this joy even when he himself is experiencing suffering. This joy helps us not to hold on to the suffering we have experienced ourselves. But to look ahead.
And although the crucifixion of Jesus was terrible, it is still cause for rejoicing. For the death caused by sin was conquered by Jesus. And Jesus wants us to be happy when we think of HIM. Because HE gave everything to break the power of sin.
He doesn't want us to walk around with our eyes downcast and a sorrowful expression on our faces, but he wants people to see this joy in our eyes.
And just as laughter can be contagious, so our joy should be contagious to those who do not yet have a personal relationship with God.
The first Christians greeted one another with the phrase "Rejoice" and that is how we Christians of the present want to treat one another.
Rejoice!
Being gifted with the love of God and the Holy Spirit is something so unique that I don't have the words to describe it. And if you haven't already taken this step of inviting God into your life, you can do so at any time. Say a simple >prayer in which you invite Jesus Christ into your heart and into your life. the nice thing is that you don't have to bring anything for it and can come as you are.
Worship
(Text Albert Frey)
Something inside me
shows me that you are real.
I am certain
that you live, know me and love me.
You make me laugh
make my heart sing.
you make me dance
my soul vibrates.
I breathe in your presence.
Lord, you alone give me
Joy that comes from within
Joy that no one can take from me.
Lord you make my life bright
with the light of your love
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