Joy is a Gift

Joy is a gift from God. It is one of the gifts that we receive when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

We are also told to count it all joy in James 1.

Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of you faith (through experience) produces endurance (leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace.)  And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed (in your faith), lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom (to guide him through a decision or circumstance), he is to ask of (our benevolent) God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.  But he must ask (for wisdom) in faith, without doubting (God's willingness to help), for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind.  For such a person ought not think or expect that he will receive anything (at all from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways (in everything he thinks, feels, or decides).

James 1:2-8 AMP

I don't know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time with this one.  I have faith and I know that God had got all of my problems taken care of even before I ask, but when I don't see results right away, or maybe it even takes a year or two, I feel like it may never happen.  I still need to count it all joy, consider it nothing but joy, because this testing of my faith will lead to a spiritual maturity that I now lack.  Isn't that one of the things we are striving for in our walk with God and our faith is spiritual maturity and inner peace.

One of the reasons that I have not written much over that last year and a half is that I fell and crushed my left ankle.  It has been a true struggle.  When I broke it, I sang the song Way Maker by Sinach over and over quietly as they took me to each surgery, every test, and even in a hyperbaric chamber.  God is so good.  He placed me in the hands of an amazing trauma surgeon who was able to piece me back together,  I lost the feeling from above my ankle down.  I have neuropathy in my foot that is being taken care of pain treatment specialist,  He diagnosed me with something called Sympathetic Nerve Syndrome, which basically means that the nerves and blood vessels in my ankle and foot are confused and sending pain signals to my brain. In the meantime, I know that this struggle will result in a spiritual maturity that I did not have before.  So I am counting it all joy.  I know it sounds strange, but God is using this for something to benefit me in the end.  To bring me closer to Him, and also to benefit His Kingdom.

So as you move through life and you are dealing with difficult things in your life, remember to consider it all joy.  He doesn't promise us a tribulation free life, but He has the strength to help us move through these tough times.

Have a blessed week

Debi