Feast: Joy No One Will Take From You!

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Martin G. Collins
Given 17-Oct-24; 52 minutes 2024-10-17

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Sadly, depression, hopelessness, despair, and suicides are common. Materialism and people's obsession with the accumulation of physical things has never led to anything but increased sorrow. It seems that what little happiness and joy there is for people in the world, someone is trying to take it from them.

True lasting joy is based neither on material accumulation nor in extraordinary physical accomplishments, but on faith in Jesus Christ and in the hope of salvation and the wonderful promises that our loving God has set before us. Faith, hope, peace, and love are all important factors concerning joy.

There are several types of joy ranging from earthly temporary human joy to spiritual, eternal, godly joy, the full joy that the apostle John writes about in chapter 16 of his gospel. Human joy may be the birth of a son or daughter. That joy may continue for a time but it is not assured because if the child becomes rebellious, he becomes a curse, someone who brings great sorrow.

According to the Bible, the whole mind and outlook of the world is opposed to God and it is under the dominion of Satan—in the grip of the wicked one. And we must remember that we are living in a world like that because it is a world that is opposed to God. It will be doing everything it can to drag us down. The result can be a stressful, even sorrowful life.

The world tries to fill our minds with things that temporarily satisfy us and interfere with our relationship with God. This distracting worldly instability jeopardizes our peace of mind and mental stability.

Please turn with me to John 16, verse 16. The apostle John reminds us of the chasm between the church and the world. And he records the words of Jesus assuring His disciples that our sorrow will be turned to joy. The same joy that was promised to His disciples is available to us as His disciples as well. That joy no one will take from us.

John 16:16-24 "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father." Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me' and, 'because I go to the Father'?" They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying." Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'? Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

The apostle John does not tell us to start by trying to reform and improve the world. That has been a misconception in mainstream Christianity that has negatively influenced the true church. The church has at times imagined that that is our function. Over the centuries, the line between the mainstream Christian church and the world became so blurred as to be almost non-existent.

Please turn over to Matthew 5, verse 14 with me. Even the true visible church has sometimes lost her focus and her responsibility to guard the truth, prepare herself as the pure bride of Christ, and preach the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to the world. We must not turn our backs on the world just as we would not turn our backs on someone in need. We must let our light shine.

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

This is the first responsibility of the church to the world, to set a good example, to give a true witness by good works in the form of teaching, preaching, and serving.

Now the teaching of the whole New Testament avoids extremes. It is not a plan of world improvement nor is it a plan of world abandonment. The Bible depicts the same situation we find ourselves in today. There is an opposing spiritual force, a power the world represents. We struggle with that influence daily and we are taught in the epistle of I John that we can conquer it. John tells us we can rise above it and we can defeat it.

But many are not even sure what this joy is. Despite that, it seems overwhelming. Despite the trials and dangers that plague us everywhere, we can triumph and prevail. We can be more than conquerors. And this is succinctly stated in the apostle John's statement in I John 1.

I John 1:4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be made full.

Earlier we read in John 16:24, "Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full." Ask for what? Faith, hope, love, contentment, understanding, God's grace, and forgiveness. John wants the church to have the fullness of joy though we are in the world that lies under the sway of the evil one. This is a wonderful thing to be offered and promised to us. It is a message that permeates the whole New Testament and we see it in Paul's epistle to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Jesus promised the same thing in other words, in

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!"

Here, Jesus describes the world as an unpleasant place and He forewarns us of what to expect. And He said the world would hate you as it hated Me. But His great promise was that He would give us the joy that He had. Jesus is upbeat, positive, cheerful, and reassuring. There was to be a period from His arrest to His resurrection when the disciples would be unhappy and miserable. But remember, we read already in

John 16:22 [Jesus' words] "You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."

He also told his disciples in

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

This is His promise, not just to the disciples then, but to all of us who obey and submit to Him.

One of the major characteristics of the book of Acts is that it is exciting regarding this uncontainable joy that the church had in confirmation of Jesus Christ's promise. This is something offered throughout the Bible that is very concrete and definite: the saints are meant to be full of joy. This is one of the characteristics of God's church and it should be obvious. It is an essential part of our true witness of God's way of life. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit produced by living the example and teachings of Jesus Christ.

But many are not even sure what this joy is so we will look into this a little more closely. So, what is joy? First, let us look at what joy is not.

Christians have no right to be in a state of melancholy or unhappiness because the world is as it is. We should have, above all others, a realistic view of life in this world. And we should know more about it than anyone else. We are not like people of the world who think that things are better than they are.

The essential thing that must be true of us is that we are honest and realistic. We do not just look on the surface, we look beneath it. We do not always minimize our problems. We do not act like things are not as bad as they appear to be. We are not always looking for artificial ways to avoid our problems, but we face them head on. We do not look for the easy way out to bypass our troubles. We do not ease our fears with false hopes. We know that all that is spiritually immature and irresponsible.

God's revelation of His truth through His Spirit and inspired written Word makes us sure we are of God.

Most people, when confronted by this danger, become depressed and unhappy. There is a danger of discouragement in saying that this life and this world are terrible and hopeless. We have all fallen into the pit of despair at times. But when we are feeling depressed, we are not experiencing the full joy of Jesus Christ that He wants us to have. And similarly, we are not to just resign ourselves to the world in its present condition. God never intended that we just make the best of a bad life. This is an easy trap for most people, and when we resign ourselves to the fact that there are bad conditions in our lives and nothing can be done about it, we are not full of joy.

The apostle John emphasizes that we should not be afraid. We must not be in a state of fear because perfect love casts out fear. Now, Paul in writing to Timothy said,

II Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Although we may think we believe this, it is very difficult for us not to be fearful in a world like this. We see the forces of evil, and we are aware of our weaknesses, so we allow ourselves to become fearful. Joy is not possible with fear. Even something like overspending can cause fear if we cannot pay the debt. And where is the joy in that, if we were in debt and we are fearful of it?

We should be careful with our spending. The 18th century American statesman, Benjamin Franklin, had some timeless words of wisdom on this subject.

There are two ways of being happy. We may either diminish our wants or augment our means: the result is the same; and it is for each man to decide for himself and do what happens to be the easiest. If you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your wants, it will be harder to augment your means.

If you are active and prosperous or young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your means than to diminish your wants. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well. And if you are wise, you will do both in such a way as to augment the general happiness of mankind.

You will be happier being generous than overspending on yourself.

Please turn with me to Ecclesiastes 2, verse 26. Sometimes people become so focused on what they are doing to satisfy their desire, they prevent their own joy.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Turn over a page or two to Ecclesiastes 5.

Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

So life goes smoother and more pleasantly as long as we are not so focused and are thankful for God's favor and blessings. God grants the faithful conscientious person abundant, enjoyable work and answers to his prayers.

Now please turn over to Job 20, verse 4. But what is distinctive about worldly joy? Worldly joy is temporary because it is based on self-centeredness.

Job 20:4-5 "Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth [he is saying it is an obvious statement], that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?"

The way the language is worded here expresses important insight into the joys of the hypocrite. The hypocrite has a type of worldly joy that is counterfeit to that of a Christian. The word hypocrite is sometimes used to represent a religious hobbyist who intentionally imposes his confused beliefs on others. He makes self-important references to his feigned righteousness.

Now, the hypocrite hobbyist has a short-lived worldly joy because he is a self-deceiver. There is no spiritual conviction to sustain it. It is not long before it fades away. He may react with elation because he believes that he has been forgiven. But the euphoria soon dwindles since the hypocrite is not repentant and is not producing any spiritual fruit. He has no true love of God and does not live his way of life. Soon, the temporary excitement disappears.

The problem with the hypocrite's joy is that his religious beliefs are just a matter of show and appearance. He has neither love nor earnestness for the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He only has an intellectual understanding that cannot sustain pleasure. Worldly joy passes very quickly. Remember the Parable of the Sower. Notice its explanation.

Luke 8:13 "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away."

By observing the lifestyles of the worldly person, we can see that they live their lives according to the saying, "Ignorance is bliss!" But God tells His people not to rejoice like the world.

Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to him who is destitute of discernment, but a man of understanding walks up rightly.

The distinct difference between earthly and godly joy is quite obvious. Righteousness is required for true, long-lasting joy. The spiritually bankrupt person rejoices in folly, and as a result, goes the wrong way, but the spiritually wealthy person rejoices in wisdom, and as a result, goes the right way.

So we have just seen what we are not to be like. So what are we to be like?

The moment we think beyond the word joy, we realize the complexity of its definition. What is joy? Can we accurately define joy in a phrase or a sentence? Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language defines joy in a secular way, "A very glad feeling, happiness, great pleasure, delight."

This worldly explanation of joy limits it to a broad generality that gives no attention to the source of that joy. From this perspective, we may receive joy from something as simple as accomplishing a good or bad goal. Someone who successfully robs a bank has temporary worldly joy. But this kind of joy is not lasting and it is not full because there are penalties to be paid for such an action. The robber worries that if he is caught, he will go to jail and be miserable. But if he is not caught, he will never be satisfied with honest work for a living.

Of course, some seem too stupid to know even the concept of joy. You have heard of dumb crook incidences. Some papers have run these things and I think there are some TV shows that show this. But for example, one dumb robber wrote, "This is a hold up, give me all the money." His problem was he wrote it on the back of his own deposit slip!

An attitude of deceit, greed, or covetousness cannot produce true joy.

Proverbs 12:19-20 The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.

Joyful advisers of peace impart it to others. Accordingly, joy comes to counselors who desire and work for others' well being and peace.

What kind of joy do John and the rest of the apostles discuss? The apostle Paul spent a whole chapter in I Corinthians 13 on the theme of love. Why did he write so much? Because he could not define love in one sentence. The same is true of joy. So he begins defining love by telling us what it does not do and then what it does do. Love is too magnificent to be defined in one sentence. There is a great amount that can be said about love. And even then we find that we have been inadequate in our description.

In defining joy, we have a similar dilemma. Any definition of New Testament joy cannot be defined by a secular dictionary. We must go to the New Testament instead for the true definition. It is a divine quality that belongs to members of the God Family.

So as we define joy, we must be very careful that it conforms to what we see in Jesus Christ. The world has never seen anyone who knew joy as Christ did. And yet he was a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Therefore, our definition of joy must match that.

Turn over to II Corinthians 5, please. We can also see how the disciples of Jesus produced it with the help of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul knew great joy even in prison. But it did not matter where he was, it did not abandon him and he was still joyful. Paul's example is one from which we can glean valuable wisdom. He assured the Corinthian brethren of their future resurrection.

II Corinthians 5:1-4 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made of hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

So Paul tells us that we can rejoice even while groaning in anticipation of relief from the world and the assurance of an eternal spiritual home.

A secular dictionary may say that joy is one thing or another. Still, we must have a definition that will cover the joy experienced by faithful members of God's church, and above all, Jesus Christ.

Turn over to Luke 18, verse 9. Most of the time, mainstream Christianity promotes a false joy. They manifest it as lightheartedness and as a kind of contrived brightness. It is used in their political and evangelistic campaigns as something that encourages laughter but not true godly joy. We all dislike that kind of false sanctimonious show. It seems superficial and hypocritical and it is usually an indicator of self-righteousness. We can see this attitude depicted in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. You are very familiar with it.

Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

False joy manifests itself as flippancy. Joy is not an act. It is not an uncontrolled emotion. So what is joy? We cannot make ourselves joyful in a New Testament sense; it is always produced by something else.

Generally stated, godly joy is the mindset that results from the stimulation of love, faith, and hope. Since that brief statement alone is too vague to be of much value, let us look at the details of what that means. Various elements of joy must be present. Let us look at those elements of joy.

1. In joy, there is a state of complete satisfaction. We do not have true joy unless we are satisfied. If we are dissatisfied in any way, we are not truly joyful. Our intellect, our emotions, and our desires must be satisfied. And more than that, they must all be satisfied together and at the same time. Certain things in this life and world can give us intellectual satisfaction. We may be perfectly satisfied intellectually, but our hearts may be cold. And if that is true, then even though our minds are satisfied, we are not in a state of godly joy.

It is the same with desires. There are things we can do that will satisfy our desires, but our mind and conscience condemn us. There is pleasure for the time being, but there is no lasting joy. We understand that contentment is a sense of inward sufficiency. So, contentment is a prerequisite for joy. United Feature syndicate writer Jim Fiebig pictures the elusiveness of contentment in this tongue-in-cheek way. "If you can look back on your life with contentment, you have one of man's most precious gifts: A selective memory."

Please turn with me to Ezekiel 18, verse 25. We live in a world of discontented people. Especially in the United States, most people are dissatisfied even though they live in an affluent society. They never seem to have enough money, a large enough house, a nice enough car, or a perfect enough spouse or friends. They are inwardly miserable while looking outwardly happy.

The core problem with their discontentment is that they believe life has been unfair. They think others are better off than they are and have fewer problems. As a result of their false perception of the cards of life that they have been dealt, they retain a resentful attitude toward others and often without realizing it, toward God.

Ezekiel 18:25-29 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?"

Ancient Israel always had a problem with complaining. Today, we often retain that characteristic. Vivian Green, in her work, Words of Women: Quotations for Success, rightly stated, "It is not our circumstances that create our discontent or contentment. It is us."

We know that the sins of society have an impact on us. A constant bombardment of negativism from the world affects us even though we work to bear up under the assault. Much of the time we feel fatigued from the effort we exert in resisting the world and Satan. Discontentment affects us in much the same way. It is exhausting to be discontent!

Contentment is freedom from irritation, anxiety, or worry. The idea of contentment comes from a Greek word that means independence or self-sufficiency. But the apostle Paul used the word content in his letter to the Philippians in a Christian sense to show that real satisfaction or sufficiency comes from God. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Please turn with me to Philippians 4, verse 11. For Paul and other New Testament writers, there is a paradox to joy because it prevails during afflictions. On earth, we can live joyfully in a wicked world during the most intense persecution and through the worst trials. An example of this joy and suffering is when Paul and Silas are in the Philippian jail, praying and singing hymns at midnight. Paul could be content whether in poverty or abundance, continually gave God thanks in every good or bad circumstance. In Paul's journeys and imprisonments, he could not help but be, at times, wanting. But he had learned to bear his trials without anxiety.

Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

In verse 11, Paul said, "I have learned in whatever state I am to be content." He said that he had learned this, it did not just happen. He had to practice it because contentment requires faith that God is just and fair. And we know that faith without works is a dead faith.

Probably by nature, Paul had a mind as prone to impatience as others, but God had placed him in circumstances that, through hard work and the help of the Holy Spirit, would produce a patient and content frame of mind. He had plenty of experience. And during his life trials, he had acquired invaluable lessons in contentment.

Remember in II Corinthians 11:24-27 Paul lists the types of trials he had to endure as a minister of God: Five times the Jews gave him 39 lashes with the whip; three times he was beaten with rods; once he was stoned; at least three times he was shipwrecked; and he traveled often. He lists his perils as that of waters, robbers, of his own countrymen, of the Gentiles, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, and among false brethren. His health was affected by weariness and work, by sleeplessness often, by hunger and thirst, and by cold and nakedness.

He had more than enough time to reflect on the relative value of different life circumstances and he had concluded that there was a great enough reward in teaching and preaching God's way of life to enable him to bear trials with resignation. Paul had the right perspective, that it is wrong to complain about the effect of divine intervention, that a spirit of impatience does not produce good fruit, does not solve any problems, does not fulfill any desires, and does not supply any needs.

Please turn over to I Timothy 6. Paul knew that God could provide for him in ways he could not foresee and that his God could abundantly sustain him. To be content in Hebrew means "to be pleased." Of course, we are not talking about contentment or pleasure with evil, wickedness, or sin. Paul clarifies this in I Timothy 6 revealing that contentment must be learned.

I Timothy 6:6-8 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Godliness must precede contentment which precedes godly joy.

The Greek word from which contentment was translated in verse 6 means "self-sufficiency" and is used here in a positive sense to indicate a mind satisfied with its share. If righteousness, or in other words, the right application of the truth of God, is united with peace of mind, the result is true riches, which is true satisfaction.

True contentment is a deep-seated habit or permanent state of mind and must be based on godliness. It is more than just plain satisfaction that concerns some specific occurrence or object. A content mind arises from the hard work of character building that produces the conviction that God is always right.

One of the secrets of joy is to have a mind content with all the allotments of the providence of God. It is the conviction that God is fair in all dealings with us. And that is why we often pray may God's will be done. Satisfaction that is part of the joy is complete satisfaction—mind, heart, emotions, and desires are all fully satisfied and full satisfaction is an essential part of joy. But joy does not stop at that.

Now, let us look at the next element of joy.

2. In joy, there is a spirit of excitement. We do not have true joy unless we have a feeling of excitement that exceeds happiness. But what is the difference between happiness and joy? Joy is more positive than happiness. Joy is more active than happiness.

Happiness is more dependent on circumstances. We feel happy when a job promotion comes. We feel cheerful when our financial dreams come true. We are glad when our favorite sports team wins. But these feelings last only until the next trial or failure occurs. With happiness there is no enduring significance to any event or material possession.

Joy, by contrast, is not dependent on circumstances. No matter what comes our way, we can have joy because we are living God's way of life by following the example of Jesus Christ. And this is something continuous and unending. God's promises are never-ending with only exciting positive results. We are excited by the tremendously positive future ahead, so much so that our present sufferings and trials are mere momentary bumps.

Turn over to Hebrews 12. God is a God of joy. And when we receive His Spirit, we also receive His nature of joy. The Spirit of God that filled Paul with love and courage, patience, faith, hope, and excitement will also help us. Along with the mind of God in us to excite us, we have the guiding example of Jesus Christ, who endured the cross for the joy He maintained by doing the will of His Father.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, continually appearing in the presence of God on our behalf. He persists in His intercession as our Mediator.

Jesus has joy from knowing that He redeemed mankind and put into process the salvation of humanity. But the reason He maintains His excitement and joy is because He looks to the glorious future of the Family of God, of which we will be included. Jesus feels a spirit of excitement and that continuous joyfulness comes from doing the will of the Father.

3. There is always a feeling of power and strength. Joy infuses us with dynamic power in a way that happiness cannot. And this is why false conceptions of joy are so easily exposed. There is never anything superficial about it. This feeling of power and strength is genuine and exhilarating joy is one of the strongest powers in the world. Someone in the state of joy is, in a sense, afraid of nothing. We feel strong and believe we can stand up to anything. Anxiety dissipates, and we step forward to meet the challenge in our lives.

Please turn over in Nehemiah 8, verse 9. In the fifth century BC Nehemiah stood up and stepped forward to do the will of God. He did what God had put in his mind and found that the joy of the Lord was his strength. As a result, he was able to overcome intense opposition and threats by taking wise defensive measures, by setting a good personal example, and by forging ahead with courage.

Nehemiah 8:9-17 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day [the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles] is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. Now on the second day, the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.

And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written." Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house or in the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

The word gladness here in verse 17 is from the Hebrew word translated rejoice in verse 12, which can also mean joy. The Feast of Tabernacles is a time of great rejoicing, of great gladness. This time of great joy is a type of spiritual excitement and exaltation and a feeling of power and strength that will be universally characteristic of God's Kingdom. Nehemiah told the people that the joy of the Lord was a strong power that would carry them through whatever obstacles and enemies they were going to face. Their obstacles and enemies were visible threats but ours are primarily spiritual threats from the influences of Satan and the world.

But this same joy of the Lord is our strength during trial and testing. It helps us stay encouraged and it puts things in the right perspective. That right perspective is that the joy of the Lord gives us the sustained boost needed to conquer Satan and the world, as well as our own human nature.

Please turn over with me to Psalm 28, verse 7. King David called the Lord my rock, my strength, my shield. And here in Psalm 28 we read,

Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.

Now flip over to the New Testament to Romans 15, verse 13. It is God who fills us with joy. David trusted in the Rock of his salvation. And that Rock proved to be a reliable, faithful God from which the fruit of joy came through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That is so foundationally important.

Joy and peace are two characteristics of the Kingdom of God. Both the joy in God and peace of mind arise from a sense of our justification. One result is unity among the saints. Worldly joy comes from pride without essence, therefore, the world may laugh but their hearts are sad. True spiritual joy comes from God with lasting essence that satisfies our hearts and minds. This way, God fills and replenishes us with hope, peace, and joy. In joy, there is always a feeling of power and strength.

Please turn to I John 1, verse 1. Joy is something very deep and profound, something that affects our whole personality. We all want it, we all need it. It comes down to this: only God can give us spiritual joy and He will only give it to those who do His will. We have our responsibility to carry out to receive it. We must meditate on God's inspired written Word. Of course, we must apply the essential life and teachings of Jesus Christ in our own lives.

I John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

In Greek the word full means "filled full." Filled full means completely full, all the way to the brim. And our joy in this world is to be spiritually full.

We live in a world that lies under the influence of Satan. We have many bothersome things happening to us; even still, our joy is to be filled to the brim, proper fullness without limit.

"These things we write to you that your joy may be full," may be slightly better translated as, "These things we write to you that your joy may remain full." Not only that it may be or become, but that it may remain complete. Not only should our joy remain full while we were together worshipping God, singing praises, and fellowship, but also when persecution strikes or we are are suffering from severe ailments. This is why the strength element of joy is so important.

We have yet to truly receive the joy of the Lord if our joy is inconsistent and dependent on circumstances and things that may happen to us. True joy is a dynamic thing that enables us to persevere through whatever is happening to us. Spiritual joy enables us to endure whatever is happening in the world because we reverence God, because we fear Him, because we obey Him, and because we know that nothing can separate us from Him and His love.

To have true joy, we must have deep intellectual satisfaction—the right satisfaction—and our emotions must be fully satisfied; our every desire must find contentment in God's way of life. The way of life Jesus lived is an example of what we must do to have complete satisfaction and joy.

For a final scripture, please turn with me to Isaiah 35, verse 10.

Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed [that is, the redeemed, talking of us] of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

This "everlasting joy will be on their heads" refers to the joy expressed in their faces. It is well known that joy lights up the countenance and that is exactly what is being described here. The brightness and the excitement will be on the faces of those who receive this everlasting joy.

This spirit of excitement is what we are meant to enjoy. And this feeling of power and strength is what we are meant to have! In having this true joy of the Lord, no one can take it from us, because it is a gift from God given only to those who do His will.

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