JULY 11, Galatians 5:22-23

The first aspect of love, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, is joy. Real Christians can always have joy in their hearts because of what the Lord Jesus has done for them,and what the Holy Spirit can do through them. This joy is not a sense of delight when things turn our way. It is the awareness that God, who gave us the guarantee of His enduring presence, is always there for us.

Real joy comes from knowing who you are – that you are the child of the Almighty God. And that you can turn to the Holy Spirit for help anytime. Real joy comes from loving the Lord, from communion with Him, from spending time on digging into His word, from not being unhappy by things on earth.

Are you joyful? Take a look at the people around you: your family, schoolmates, teachers, and friends. Are they joyful people? Sadly, many are not. Unfortunately, a lot of people are burdened and weighed down with the problems of this world. As believers in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit and He will grant us joy as the first aspect of the fruit He can bless us with. So be a joyful you!

Many in the world cannot be joyful because they are without Jesus. And some, even believers, do not have the right level of joy because they may forget to trust God for all they need.

The secret of real Christian Joy – is to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. That does not mean looking at a picture of what Jesus may look like from some children’s bible or painting. Keeping our eyes focused on Jesus means to always think of Him, to be a prayerful child, to trust Him to provide for you and your family, and to live a life for Him. In turn, that will keep us happy in the things that will make Jesus happy, and surely one of the things that makes Jesus very happy is the fact that we have eternal life through Him! You will recall the chorus, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus – look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

Thought: May I turn my eyes upon Jesus, and be a joyful child!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me that joy is such an important part of my life. I know that at times, I may not have been as joyful as I ought to be. Perhaps it is because I do not commit all my problems to You. Perhaps it is because I lack a little faith. So Heavenly Father, please teach me to surrender my life to You, and I will be able to experience joy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.