Though now you do not see Him, yet believing,you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. 1 Peter 1:8 (NKJV)
Not only do you have the wisdom and love of God within your reborn spirit, but you also have His joy. It's not a fake kind of happiness—because happiness stems from happenings. No, this is an incredibly deep-seated joy bubbling up from your spirit.
What is the opposite of joy? I would say it's emptiness. I don't know how many calls I've received from people in the midst of depression or suicidal thoughts. They feel empty, like nothing they achieve or do can fulfill them.
This is why you find verses like John 15:11 (NKJV), where Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." Did you catch that? You have the ability to make joy full in your life! Today's verse in the Amplified Classic Version calls it a "triumphant, heavenly joy."
I don't know what's coming against you from the outside or what lies you're dealing with on the inside. But you need to know: if you've given your life to Christ, the joy of Jesus Himself resides in your spirit!
You can live in a state of joy in the midst of whatever you're going through. Even if you're grieving, losing a job or being lied about, joy is yours. Some people would be decimated by those circumstances—but not you. They'll look at you and wonder what makes you different, and then you can tell them, "It's because of Jesus in me."
True joy doesn't come from what's happening around you. It's a force of your reborn spirit.
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