JOY
Rev. Peter Tuchyna
Nehemiah 8:8-12.
…this day is holy to the Lord, your God; do not mourn nor weep…do not sorrow, for the joy
of the Lord is your strength. And all the people…
went and rejoiced greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.
What has the Word of God to say about joy? What is joy? What is the base, the reason for joy?
Joy in its very nature is described as a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment,
bliss, delight, gladness, hilarity, pleasure, satisfaction, and charm.
It displays an outward show of pleasure or delight. To be joyful or joyous means possessing a
happy nature.
How is then described absence of joy? Joyless, cheerless, dejected, depressed, dispirited,
downcast, dreary, gloomy, miserable, sad, unhappy.
We surely know people around us, we would describe as having a happy nature. They are
always bubbly, cheerful, and happy and they have always something positive to say.
We know also people who breath the same air, using the same roads, paying the same price in
the supermarkets and buying the same goods, seeing the same scenery, having the same sunshine
and wet rain, having the same neighbours but from the other side, working and earning the same
money or even more, having the same opportunity to the grace of God, happiness and joy and
they are almost always grumpy, negative, and unhappy about everybody and anything. Nothing
is good enough for them. They do not seem to have a reason to rejoice about anything. Criticism,
condemnation, negativism, suspicion, condemnation are ruling their thoughts, hearts and
every action.
Many would say that different individuals have different natures, different personalities,
different expectations and different opportunities and ambitions and they are right.
Some are declaring that they cannot change and help themselves, and they are right. They cannot
change themselves at all. So what good is it to talk about it and pay attention to it?
Because the Word of God has much to say about it!
Joy is not triggered by, or dependent upon circumstances of one’s life at all. Sometimes you
would hear people say, if I would have more money, if I would have better health, if I would have
a better husband or wife ( or have or not to have), or children, or parents or have better work or
better circumstances in my life, surely I would be a completely different individual. I would be
happy. I would be joyous. This is a myth!
Joy is the condition of the soul. It has nothing to do with the circumstances of life at all.
Galatians 5:22; Joy is one of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. So where there is current
presence of the Holy Spirit, there is joy also.
Joy is dependent only upon the presence of the Holy Spirit. Joy has nothing to do with the
circumstances or selected nature of any individual.
2 Corinthians 5:17; therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God… who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ
Therefore the Lord Jesus said to his disciples Luke 10:20 , Rejoice, because your names are
written in heaven.
When apostle Paul and Silas were imprisoned, at midnight they sang the song of joy. Their joy
was not as a result of their physical “well being”, freedom, financial status or reputation.
The source of their joy was the Holy Spirit. They had the Holy Spirit in them and it was
sufficient reason to sing, to praise, and to worship the Lord even in prison joyfully.
Apostle Paul understood well that joy has nothing to do with the outer circumstances or condition,
therefore he said in 2 Corinthians 4:17; for our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
The human nature of man is influenced by emotions. Emotions or feelings are influenced by
circumstances, whether it is a sunny or a rainy day, warm or cold. Whether your neighbour smiled
on you or frowned. Whether you receive the praise and approval of people or not. It depends
whether you are gorgeous looking, maybe skinny and popular.
David as is written, the man according to the Lord’s own heart declared in Psalm 5:11; but let
all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest
them.
Psalm 16:11; thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right
hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 30:5; for his anger endureth but a moment: in his favour is life: weeping may endure
for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
We are not children of night – of darkness. We are children of light – of morning and of day.
There is something that can rob a man of joy! Beware!
Psalm 51:12; after David sinned and displeased God, he lost his joy. He pleaded with the Lord,
create in me a new heart, and restore unto me the joy of my salvation.
Isaiah 12:3; declared therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
That joy has nothing to do with the physical circumstances and is very clear from the words of
Jesus Christ Luke 6:22-23; Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil for the Son of man’s
sake.
Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.
When so-called friends or even family members despise you, avoid you, speak badly about you and
you know it, you definitely don’t feel comfortable and you think you have no reason to smile, do
you? Rejoice greatly! God is saying.
1 Peter 1:6; wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold trials, temptations, verse 8 even when we don’t see Jesus with our physical eyes,
we love him, we believe him, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
1 Peter 4:12-13; through trials rejoice, because ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, that when his
glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
There are many instances in the Bible describing the circumstances where the joy was not the result
of pleasant experiences, but direct result of God’s presence,
His mercy, forgiveness and infilling with the Holy Spirit.
When we pray, let’s pray with joy. When we sing, let’s sing with joy. When we speak, let’s speak
with joy. Joy is outward show of pleasure or delight of the presence of the Lord.
When you look into the mirror, what do you see? Do you see happy, smiley face full of joy of the
Lord because of salvation, forgiveness, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and assurance of eternal life?
Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
People who are grieving do not smile. When the Holy Spirit is grieved because of the resistance
to the will of God, or compromise or sin took place, the first thing a man experiences in his life is
a loss of joy.
When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, when all the breaches, gaps, ruins were fixed,
when the consecration of lives unto the Lord was made and the service unto God renewed, then
the commandment was made: Stop crying and mourning and grieving. Understand the words of
God declared to you. His words are life and joy.
If there is any breach in the walls of your life, do not leave it open. The flood of trials will come
and it will sink you like New Orleans.
2 Chronicles 7:14; if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and
pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
1 John 1:9; if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
When the breaches and gaps in the walls of your life are rebuild, the consecration of your life to
Jesus was made, the service unto the Lord renewed, do not grieve anymore. Rejoice evermore
for the Lord is your joy.
The trademark of the presence of the Lord is joy. That’s what happened on the day of Pentecost.
Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and for evermore. The same joy is with us and in us forever.
I can say personally even when I lost my precious wife and I feel loneliness, as part of me was taken
from me, that greater is my joy in the Holy Ghost than my grief in the flesh. Therefore I rejoice in
your midst and in the presence of the Lord. Therefore I am free to enjoy the sweet presence of the
Lord as He provides all your and my needs. Therefore, I lift my hands, therefore, I wiggle in His
presence, and therefore I smile and call upon the precious name of Jesus.
