My joy disappeared! Have you seen it? I can’t seem to find it.
Hmmm…can our joy be stolen?
I was thinking about this the other day. Numerous posts have been written about joy stealers. But, you know, after mulling this over, I’m not so sure anything can steal our joy. Stealing implies it can be taken from us. What does Scripture say? See what you think.
* What did Jesus tell the disciples at the Last Supper? All the words He spoke that night were filled with encouragement. What He spoke to them, He also says to us, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11 NKJV)
* When Jesus prayed in the garden after that fateful supper, He said to the Father, “I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.” (John 17:13b NLT) His words gave them joy! He is the Word. He is that joy!
* What makes our joy full? Jesus said, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24 NKJV)
* The Lord’s joy remains in us, for “No one takes away your joy.” (John 16:22 Greek text) That’s pretty plain, isn’t it?
I love these other versions of that verse…
“…a joy that cannot be stolen.” (The Voice)
“…no one can rob you of that joy.” (TLB)
“…the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.” (GNT)
No one can take it away from you! Nothing can cart away that precious joy. However, our trials and circumstances, our griefs and heartaches, our jealousy and envy, our greed and pride, our worry, stress, fear, comparison, criticism, selfishness, and a wagonload of other things, all act as thick blankets of concealment, laid over and camouflaging our Lord’s joy within us.
Joy is not always outwardly visible. Part of joy’s definition means a calm delight. Those in desperate situations, those being treated for cancer, those with chronic illnesses may not exhibit joy, but they know it is there. Deep inside.
Therefore, that joy cannot be erased. It cannot be snatched out of us. We may feel as though it has disappeared or even drained out of us. But it is there. Always there, hidden in the dark folds of our heart. It is an eternal there. Is Jesus there eternally? Then, so is His joy because it is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
We don’t need to go on a search for joy. All we need to do is sit in the presence of the Joy-filler to discover what covers it up and allow Him to remove those black veils of concealment and reveal what is already there.
Be encouraged, dear heart. The joy of the Lord remains in you and can never be taken from you. May your joy be full and overflowing!
“Don’t be sad, because the joy you have in the LORD is your strength.”
(Neh. 8:10 GW)
Lynn writes devotionals and inspirational stories. She has one book waiting to be published in 2015 and is working on a second one. Her greatest passion is to fulfill God’s call on her life to encourage others and glorify the Lord with her writing. She currently writes for several sites and writes bi-weekly on her site, Heading Home. http://lynnmosher.com
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