There is nothing quite like walking in the sweet joy of the Lord. Proverbs 17:22 declares, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” This verse is packed with wisdom and shares with us that a cheerful heart is one filled with joy and is very good for us.
Sweet joy is good for our health, our general well-being, our relationships, and our spirit but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. The crushed spirit is one that is devoid of joy and will sap our strength, remove our vitality, and strip us of any motivation.
Joy is not just a fleeting emotion or moment of rejoicing. Joy does not come and go with the ups and downs of life, but joy comes from deep inside and is this unshakeable certainty that no matter what happens, we are held close and secure in the loving arms of a caring Savior.
The prophet Habakkuk proclaims, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:18). This joy is a divine gift, a fruit of the Spirit that God plants in our hearts. In John 15:11 Jesus tells us, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
It is possible - We can walk in divine joy. This verse in John 15 is a promise from Jesus. He is our joy. The same overflowing joy that Jesus has in His relationship with the Father, can also be in the joy we experience each day as we walk in fellowship with God.
