‘Rejoice always… Rejoice at all times!’ (1Thess 5:16)
A wise man of old said that ‘Christian joy is like a flag on top of the castle announcing to all that the king is in his residence’. For example, when Queen Elizabeth II visits any of her palaces, her personal flag is raised on the roof, telling all that she is inside.
Joy is not a natural gift. Only the born again believer has joy. No one else has it. Joy is a slice of the fruit of the Spirit.
A good definition of Joy is this: God’s given gift to freely enjoy Him without any inhibitions.
According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, ‘The chief end of man is TO GLORIFY GOD AND TO ENJOY HIM FOREVER’.
Like the flag on top of the castle, joy cannot be hidden. It expresses itself especially in praise to God, which in turn, increases the joy. In other words joy and praise are twins and cannot live separately one from another.
Joy is very different from what the world calls ‘happiness’. Joy is deep, is a fruit of the Holy Spirit growing in the human spirit. It grows and matures, becoming fruitful. Joy is independent from outside circumstances. Happiness is superficial, unstable and it depends on the circumstances.
It the presence of God there is ‘fullness’ or harvest of Joy.
Joy is very expensive. Jesus paid with His blood for our joy!
From time to time, we the believers, experience this joy in God’s presence. Then why is it that we are so slow in pay the price for more of it? The answer is SIN! It is sin that separates us from God! It is sin that kills joy! A backsliding believer cannot lose his salvation, but he can lose the seal of joy associated with his salvation.
If you are a born again and you are sad, then come to the Cross and see the Joy Jesus saw! Pay the price! Humble yourself and repent of sin! If you say that you have repented, but you are still sad, then you have not repented well. Your religious repentance was not accepted by God! For true repentance is always stamped with ‘inexpressible joy and full of glory’.
Joy is the visible stamp of true ministry. As servants of God we introduce ourselves to others by a ‘CV’ filled with joy in the midst of trials!

Sometime ago I heard a true story. It happened in Uganda, during the time of Idi Amin. He was an evil man and killed many Christians and pastors. One day, three of Amin’s terrorists came to a church. They were sent to kill the pastor. They went to the Pastor’s office with a question: ‘The widows of the Christians men we killed, why are they not weeping? Why are they singing and rejoicing?’ The pastor told them that it is the Joy of the Holy Spirit that helps them to be strong. Then suddenly they changed their mind and refused to kill the pastor. They even asked for prayers. The pastor prayed for them, for God’s grace and mercy to be manifested. Later they helped the pastor escape abroad. Some years later, the tallest among the three terrorists came back as a born again Christian. He now serves as a deacon in the same church where he saw the widows rejoicing.

Do you know this joy? Did you sacrifice such an expensive, Blood- bought gift on the fake altar of sin?
Come back to the Cross! Look long into the face of the Crucified! Let the Shepherd restore your soul!
After God restores your joy, use your testimony to draw other to Jesus!

Pray like David:
‘Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice…
Hide Your face from my sins,
and blot out all of my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a right spirit within me.
Don’t throw me from Your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways.
Sinners shall be converted to You’
(Gal 5:22; Ps 16:11; Heb 12:2; Is 59: 2; Jam 1:2; 2Cor 6:10; 1Pet 1:8; Ps 51:7-13)
(in the picture: Queen Elizabeth’s personal flag on top of Windsor Castle in UK)