Just Joy

You can choose to live in a wilderness as Israel did, or you can choose to be filled with His joy. It us up to you.

Nehemiah pointed out that their forefathers had rebelled against the Lord, ignoring his law: "Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs...Yet many years didst thou forbear them...yet they would not give ear" (Nehemiah 9:26, 30).

Can you imagine the awful spiritual death these people brought upon themselves? Forty years of sabbaths without any joy or mirth. Forty years of funerals, without ever entering the promised land. These Israelites were rich with blessings, increased with goods, needing nothing, but they were lukewarm in spirit.

Nehemiah gives us a picture of Jehovah Jireh, the God who faithfully provides for his people, even when they become hardened to his word. The Israelites had become bored with the things of God. They were just going through the motions. In his mercy, the Lord continued to direct their daily affairs and provide for them. But these people would never enter into his fullness. Is it any wonder their clothes and shoes never wore out? They simply weren't going anywhere.

This is also the sad state of many churches today. God may extend his mercy to a congregation, freeing them of debt, giving them direction for good works, supplying them with finances for new construction. Yet that church may remain in a spiritual wilderness, never going anywhere. They can enjoy a measure of God's blessing, enough to keep from dying of thirst, but they remain weak, weary, ready to die. And it's all because their focus is still on the things of the world. They have no spirit or no life.

Simply put, only the joy of the Lord supplies us with true strength. We can talk all we want to about our ten or twenty-year walk with Christ. We can show off our robe of righteousness. But if we're not allowing the Holy Spirit to maintain the joy of the Lord in our hearts and if we aren't continually hungering for his word, then we're losing our fire. And we won't be ready for what comes upon the world in these last days.

How do we maintain the joy of the Lord? We do it the same way we obtained his joy in the beginning: 

-First, we love, honor and hunger excitedly for God's word. 

-Second, we continually walk in repentance. 

-And third, we separate ourselves from all worldly influences. 

This is how a Holy Ghost person or church maintains "Jesus joy". They are rejoicing always, full of gladness and happiness, and giving praise unto The Lord.