Joy

Joy
by Carol Kenreigh

This teaching was presented to God’s Girls Ministry Women’s Bible
study on Monday, October 4, 2010. Personal testimonies are not
included in these notes. This editor believes personal testimonies
belong to the person telling it and should not be posted on a public
forum such as the Internet by anyone except the testifier. Bracketed
and italicized scripture references supplied in these notes were not
in the teaching but are here as a study reference for your learning.
King James Version Bible quoted unless noted otherwise.


JOY

I thought I had a pretty good understanding of joy before going into this study. I am a pretty joyful person, happy, content even for the most part. But there is more to JOY than what is on the surface. God brought me deeper.

 The difference between JOY & Happiness: God gives us joy from within, happiness is based on external conditions.


Ecc 2: 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy:

There are many Hebrew & Greek words translated JOY in our Bibles. One is samach.

Hebrew: samach,  saw-makh'

rejoice:  a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome



 De 12:7 And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.


Whatsoever you put your hand unto, do it heartily as unto the Lord. AND REJOICE!!

 De 26:11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house.

This does NOT say you shall be depressed, oppressed, burdened or sad because of every bad thing the devil does.



There are times when we are under a trial, under an oppressive attack of the enemy and that constant pressure is no fun, it is burdensome and hard. Even King David had extreme times like these and no one is immune to them. Even though the situation is not pleasant, we can still joy & rejoice in GOD, because we TRUST in Him.  If you do not have confidence that God will see you through then it will suck you down into a pit of depression, doubt & unbelief. Next time you find yourself in a place like this, keep in mind some of these tips.

KEY TO REJOICING:

1 Chron 16: 10



 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart [widely used of feelings, the will & intellect] of them rejoice that seek the LORD.11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

GLORY IN HIS HOLY NAME, & LET YOUR FEELINGS REJOICE. LET THEM REJOICE THAT SEEK THE LORD. SEEK THE LORD & HIS STRENGTH. SEEK THE LORD, SEEK HIS FACE CONTINUALLY, REMEMBER HIS WORKS, BE MINDFUL OF HIS PROMISE, THE WORD. When under pressure that threatens to steal your joy, let your feelings rejoice. I know we often do not FEEL LIKE rejoicing when we are under pressure and under attack, or dealing with blows that come along at us in our daily life…the cat barks, the dog runs away, the kids make messes and the bills need paid Allow yourself to feel His joy ANYWAY. How? Glory in His holy name & seek Him, seek His strength. WE receive joy IN HIS PRESENCE. You know how when you are ina  deep dark pit, self pity comes along, adds to the darkness, depression sets in, adds to it, shame comes, guilt, and on and on until we no longer desire company of believers, help from our elephants, or even feel worthy to sit in God’s presence anymore. Break this cycle once and for all. When under pressure, be deliberate to seek Him even more.



Ps 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.

James 1: 2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience


A willing heart goes a long way. This scripture is about how the people brought gifts to build the temple.



1 Chron 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect [complete, friendly] heart they offered willingly [presented  spontaneously] to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.


WHAT ELSE DO WE JOY & REJOICE IN?
(The following List was part of a handout)

2 Chron 6:41  rejoice in goodness.

Ps 9:2 Be glad & Rejoice in YAHWEH

Ps 9:14   I  [my heart  Ps 13:5] will rejoice in thy salvation.

Ps 16: 11 in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Ps 19: 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart:

Ps 31:7 Be glad & rejoice in thy mercy bc you considered my trouble, known my soul in adversities

Ps 31:7 Be glad in the LORD & rejoice, shout for joy

Ps 21:1  1 ¶  The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

Ps 33:21 Rejoice in Him, bc we have trusted in his holy name

Ps 40:16  Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

(WHEN YAHWEH IS MAGNIFIED, you & your problems are MINIMIZED)

Ps 63:7Rejoice b/c He is your help

Ps 5: 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. {compass: Heb. crown}

Ps 71:23 Greatly rejoice when I sing unto you

Ps 89:16 Rejoice In thy name

Ps 90:14 Rejoice & be glad in your mercy

Ps 97:12 Rejoice in YAHWEH

Ps 98:4 Joyful noise unto YAHWEH, rejoice & sing praise

Ps 106:5 Rejoice in the gladness of others

Ps 118:24 Rejoice & be glad in the day God made

Ps 119:162 Rejoice at His Word as one that has found great treasures.

Ps 149:2 Rejoice in the Creator God & rejoice in your King

Prov 12:20 There is Joy in hearts of counselors of peace

Prov 21:15 It is joy to the just to do justice

 Pr 23:24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

 Pr 27:9 ¶ Ointment and perfume [FROM ESSENTIAL OILS & NATURAL PLANTS NOT SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS] rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

Ecc 3:22 Rejoice in your works

Ecc 5:19 Rejoice in your labour

Ecc 9:7 Eat with joy

 Isa 29:19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel

 Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Isa 61:10 ¶ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

 Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts

 Lu 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 Ac 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

Romans 5:2 rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 Ro 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

 Ro 12:12 Rejoicing in hope;

Ro 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice,

Romans 14:17 righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

 Ro 15:13 ¶ Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 Ga 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy

Phil 1:25 joy of faith;

THERE IS JOY WHEN WE ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WALK IN THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, IN THE RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST, BRINGING DELIVERANCE TO PEOPLE THROUGH CHRIST.

 Php 3:3 rejoice in Christ Jesus

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always

1Th 1:6 ¶ And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

 1Th 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

 1Th 2:20 For ye are our glory and joy.

 1Th 3:9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

 1Th 5:16 ¶ Rejoice evermore.

 James 1:2 ¶ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience

 1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory

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

 Re 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.



De 16:11 And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

Your whole family shall rejoice in front of YAHWEH in the place He chose to put His name.

Where has God chosen to place his name in our day and time?  Is it not God, in Christ in you? Are we not Temples of the holy spirit? Are we not one now as God and Jesus are one? Is His name written on our hearts? Is this why we are instructed to Rejoice in the Lord always?

 Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

 Ps 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy SINGING cometh in the morning.

Here is one of the first examples of JOY in the OT that boggled my mind.

1 Sam 2: 1 ¶ And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth [JUMPS FOR JOY] in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice [BRIGHTENED UP] in thy salvation.
 2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
Hannah prayed this prayer of rejoicing. OMG How? She was about to leave her only son, a son she had after not being able to conceive, a son she asked of God, she was about to leave this son  to the prophet when there was MUCH AMISS at the Temple. There was a lot of perverted stuff going on there.

Hannah was a woman of integrity for she prayed to God for a male child and said she would lend him to God if He would grant her request.She did it with rejoicing. I beleive she was able to do it because in these next verses was  her prayer and confession. She had a different perspective about it. She did not think ...I gave away my son, I dont have a son what am I gonna do, boo hoo...She knew God would turn things around for her.



 1 Sam 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.


She ended up having three more sons and two daughters.

I was sad and feeling left behind when 6 of my friends moved in 3 months and I learned another couple would soon move too. God showed me I WAS NOT LEFT BEHIND, I WAS STAYING PUT. THIS IS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAT TOOK THE STING OUT. I CANNOT REJOICE THAT MY FRIENDS ARE MOVING. BUT  I CAN REJOICE IN THE lORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY WORKS. HE IS FAITHFUL.

Feeling depressed and succumbing to sad, depressing thoughts is the exact opposite of being brightened up and rejoicing in salvation. Just so you don't get discouraged, there is more to depression besides renewing your mind. There are REAL physical reasons we get depressed. Exposure to environmental toxins, lack of fresh air and sunshine, artificial food additives, food allergies, thyroid imbalances, and B -complex and D vitamin deficiencies, CAUSE depression. It also causes a weakened immune system. So if you still struggle with overwhelming feelings of sadness, you are doing all you can to cast out those depressive thoughts, look at your food and nutritional intake, and how much exercise do you get, ARE YOU EXPOSED TO PESTICIDES AND TOXIC CHEMICALS EVERYDAY? Get a good sublingual form of B vitamins and a good D 3 supplement. Get some fresh air & sunshine. Cod liver oil is high in natural D & A. D3 was shown to be more effective than anti anxiety drugs to combat depression.



 Psalm 43:1 ¶ Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. {ungodly: or, unmerciful} {the deceitful...: Heb. a man of deceit and iniquity} 2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. {my exceeding...: Heb. the gladness of my joy}5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
(KJV)

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.  In case you missed it the first time, it is repeated. Rejoice  is EMPHASIZED. What do we have to be so full of joy about?

The Word

Jesus is the Word made flesh. We have holy spirit now and can do his works with power!

It is true, He is faithful.

WHY do we need JOY?  The JOY of the LORD is our STRENGTH. If you have little joy, you have little strength, as anyone who has battles depression and oppression for any length of time can attest. If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small. The joy gets you through the tough parts.

Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him.

HEBREWS 12:1-4


1 ¶ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside [PUT AWAY,  LAY DOWN, SET ASIDE]every weight [MASS, BURDEN] , and the sin which doth so easily beset us, [(a competitor) thwarting (a racer) in every direction (figuratively, of sin] and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,


HOW FAR AND FAST CAN WE RUN HOLDING ONTO A HEAVY LOAD OF BURDENS?  HOW FAR & FAST CAN WE RUN BOGGED DOWN WITH WILLFUL SIN? HOW JOYFUL CAN WE BE? IT’S HARD ENOUGH TO RUN A RACE BUT WHEN WE ARE THWARTED BY THE COMPETITION IN EVERY DIRECTION AND BOGGED DOWN WITH A BACK PACK OF WORRIES, IT’S EVEN HARDER. IT’S NO FUN EVEN.

INSTEAD LETS RUN THE RACE WITH PATIENCE. THAT WORD PATIENCE MEANS:  cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy:

We cannot run with cheerful endurance if we are burdened and thwarted by sin.

2Co 10:5  Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into every thought to the obedience of Christ.
 Hebrews 12: 2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. {author: or, beginner}
 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds
 4 ¶ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.


We can be full of joy. It takes action, deliberately seeking the Lord, acting on the promises of God, walking in resurrection power of the holy spirit, changing our perspective, casting down imaginations, rejoicing in the hope of the glory to come, setting aside the weight of sin, looking to Jesus the finisher of our faith. Oh praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy! Who gives us exceeding great love and joy!