The Father's Menu
Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh
Sunday, October 18, 2020
THE JOY OF THE LORD
“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.â€
Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV)
Main Text:
The joy of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God, abiding in Christ and being filled with the Holy Ghost. Joy isn’t natural, it’s a spiritual force that comes directly from God’s Spirit within you. Happiness is birth from positive happenings and can easily fizzle out, however, joy is birth from the Spirit and regardless of the circumstance, you maintain your praise!
Faith is the victory that overcomes the world, and the joy of the Lord is our strength. Adverse situations rather than hindering our faith can actually enhance our joy.
In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas knew adversity as they sat in that cold prison cell. Their legal rights were violated, they were arrested and beaten without cause, however in pains, they sang loudly to the Lord and a miracle broke forth. Joy is a key to the supernatural.
The joy of the Lord may be inexplicable to the one who doesn’t possess it, however, for the believer in Christ, the joy of the Lord comes naturally as grapes on a vine. As we abide in Christ, the true vine, His joy will manifest in us.
Confession: I am strengthened in the inner man by the Joy of the Lord, regardless of the circumstance, I maintain my joy. I am joyful and Satan can’t steal my joy.
Further Reading: John 15:5 (KJV) “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
1 Peter 1:8 (AMP) “Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy.”
Read through the Bible: 1 Kings 21 & 1 Thessalonians 4
