Joy
Joy is a necessary part of the Christian
life. Are you serving the Lord with joy? God intends for you to. I have thus
far learned this principle most profoundly when the Lord directed me away from
my childhood church of fifteen years to another church. What I experienced was
such joy. Not just myself, but everyone was just so quietly, contentedly
joyful. The worship you could just sense was coming from joyful hearts, the
brothers and sisters greeted each other joyfully as the family of God—whether
they knew you or not, the Word was preached with power and boldness yet you
could see such joy in the preacher for his own salvation (it never left his
sight like Paul). Are you joyful? Not happy in your flesh mind you, but about
the Lord’s business, knowing deep down you are where you are supposed to be and
doing what you are supposed to be and taking pleasure in doing the Lord’s will?
