As a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, when was the last time that you reflected back to the day that you trusted in Jesus Christ to save you? If your salvation experience was like mine, it was a day that was filled with “joy unspeakable and full of glory“! It was a day that you knew without a shadow of doubt that Christ had forgiven you of your sins and that God had given you a home in heaven. And for some period of time to follow that blessed day you were quick to share your testimony of faith with others.
But what about today? Are you still filled with the same joy? Has your joy in the Lord increased because day-by-day you have grown closer to the Lord – regardless of the trials and tribulations that have come your way? Or, have you allowed yourself to succumb to the trials and tribulations of this life and your joy is as the fleeting flicker of a flame on a spent candle? If your joy can be described as the latter, you need to ask yourself, “Why have I allowed trials and tribulations, Satan and the world, to rob me of my joy in the Lord?” The answer can often be found in the fact that our prayer time, our study time, and our praise time are clearly deficient.
Consider for a moment the words of 1 Peter 1:2-9,
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 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: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
Let us take note that it is the “trial of your faith” that is to bring forth praise, honor, and glory unto the Lord. “How so?” you might ask. Through the trials of our faith we are to grow closer unto the Lord on a day-by-day basis – rejoicing evermore because we see the appearing of Jesus Christ quickly approaching. In other words, we must ask ourselves, “Where has our focus been – on the trials and the tribulations – or on the One who has made us to be overcomers?” 1 John 4:4 is a verse that every child of God should clearly cherish. For it states,
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
1 John 5:4 also states,
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
John 5:24 also reminds of what we have because of Jesus Christ,
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
If you have allowed your joy in the Lord to diminish as a small “flickering flame”, why not brighten that flame through the Lord’s prescription.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 states,
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.”
Rekindling your joy in the Lord will cause you to be filled with “joy unspeakable and full of glory” – and it will lead you to sharing your faith with others.
