Enter Into The Joy
by PJ
 Nechemyah (Nehemiah) 8:10 AMP, "Then (Ezra) told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold."
When we look at the way life is today, we see people coming through great trial and adversity. If one looks at the difficulty of life in this time of the Earth, it's nearly overwhelming. So many people are in a state of lack in some area, whether it be job, money, friends, time, health, etc. As Believers, we know that G-d's Word is full of admonition to have joy and to rejoice, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Let's look at a few of the scriptures regarding joy.
Matit'yah ha-Levi / Matthew 25:21 AMP, "His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
Yochanan / John 15:11-12 AMP, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you."
T'hillim / Psalm 15:11-12 AMP, "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You. Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield."
Romans 14:17-18 (AMP), "(After all) the kingdom of God is not a matter of (getting the) food and drink (one likes), but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and (heart) peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. He who serves Christ in this way is acceptable and pleasing to God and is approved by men."
Joy is not based on events. Happiness is. Happiness is based on happenings. But joy is exultation or delight based on a way of thinking. It's a mindset.
When G-d admonishes us to rejoice and delight ourselves in Him, it's because it's part of a process to bring Him into the difficult situation. G-d never called us to be strong, He called us to say "We are strong." He called us to delight ourselves in Him, speak faith and understand that joy would bring praise that He would inhabit and we would become strong to fight the good fight of faith because He is our Strength and He would inhabit our praise and fight the enemy since the battle is the L-rd's.
Remember the story of Rav. Saul/Apostle Paul and Silas in prison after being whipped? In the midst of their physical pain, in the midst of being locked in a dark dungeon with seemingly no way out, they began the process that brought G-d into the situation. Let's just look at the Word.
P'yilut Hashaliachim / Acts 16:22-24(AMP), "The crowd (also) joined in the attack upon them, and the rulers tore the clothes off of them and commanded that they be beaten with rods. And when they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. He, having received (so strict a) charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks." This is very much what ha'satan does to us. He strips us of whatever he's trying to steal, beats us up and puts us in bondage. Suddenly we find ourselves captive to strongholds.
P'yilut Hashaliachim / Acts 16:25-26 (AMP), "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the (other) prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened." In the darkest hours of trials, a person who understands the power of joy can stand up and start singing praises to G-d. Praise is warfare because G-d inhabits it. When our delight is in G-d instead of the world, no matter what the circumstance, we can still praise G-d and when we do this, it confuses the enemy. When G-d shows up, He tears down the prison walls and frees us from bondage.
Yeshua told us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us. That's why it is written in Matit'yah ha-Levi / Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP), "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. (I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.) Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and eases and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good -- not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne." When we are yoked up with Yeshua, we are yoked up to the King of the Universe. There is no situation that the enemy can set up that He will not overturn for us if we are in covenant with Him.
A person who understands covenant with G-d understands that joy is a powerful force against the enemy. King Jehosaphat understood this when he sent out the singers, musicians, the praisers before the army of Yisra'el. G-d INHABITS our praise. When we praise G-d, He manifests.
Is praise based on feeling? No. It's not an emotion. It's a force. It's a weapon. As we begin to stir up praise to G-d inside ourselves, the emotion starts coming in line with the obedience. If we waited around until we felt like praising G-d, the enemy would make sure we never felt like it. But it's not about what the enemy can or cannot do. It's an act of will on our parts.
Maybe you've lost millions in the stock market. Maybe you've been diagnosed with a sickness or disease. Maybe you've lost your job. Maybe you've lost your home, your family or encountered marriage problems. Maybe you feel like you are so down and out that there's no way out of this mess. Take off the garments of heaviness and put on the garments of praise and get G-d into the situation. He'll set you free because G-d responds to the praise of His children.
“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible."
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