That your joy may be full

Bible Reading: 1 John 1

1 John 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Do you have joy? What is joy? The Greek word translated 'joy' means calmly happy or well off. It means to rejoice. Do you walk through life 'cal my happy'?

Here then is the key to joy. To know Jesus and to have the life that he gives in you. John says this is one reason for writing his epistle! Joy is a not something that you and I produce. We are the glad bearers of if, but it is produced in us by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

There are many things in life that are not joyful. There is heartache and tragedy. There is loss and pain. But, in light of the 'Word of life', they all pale in comparison. When we consider what Jesus has done for us in bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, we have cause for joy. When we consider what lies in store for us as the sons of God, we have cause for joy.

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

So we can have a full joy. How do we have that? We focus on Jesus and get to know him. We read his Word and enjoy the fullness of the Spirit in our lives. We fellowship with him and realize that in Christ we are forgiven and we have fellowship with God! We experience the joy of sharing the gospel and seeing others come to faith in Christ. We experience the joy of answered prayer. We have the joy of the Lord as our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We can rejoice in the Lord knowing that he is coming again to receive us unto himself!

Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Philippians 4:4-5 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Joyfully in Christ,
Rody