the joy of the lord

There abides a supernatural force called joy that can come from only one place and this is the Lord Himself.  By definition joy is a gladness, cheerfulness and a calm delight.  We call joy a supernatural force because there is no logical explanation for it to manifest. 
 
Hebrews 12:2 Look unto Jesus who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame.
 
Jesus dealt with two emotions simultaneously, He hated every event connected to His crucifixion and He counted it a joy to die for the world.  As they drove those spikes into His hands and feet, He said “Father forgive them, they know not what they do”.  It was the joy of the Lord that enable Him to speak forgiveness over the people.  Later as He was dying on the cross He said “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me”, this He spoke from His pain.  Just like Jesus, we are men with access to the natural and the Spirit realm.  Pain and grief come from the natural realm but joy comes from the Spirit.
 
Nehemiah 8:10 Do not be sad; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
 
Nehemiah, Jesus and the Apostle Paul are a few of the men in the Bible that experienced a manifestation of the Joy of the Lord.  How did this joy manifest in these men?  In every event the Father revealed to them what was awaiting them on the other side of their suffering.  For example He showed Jesus that His sacrifices would open heaven to billions of sinners.  These revelations were so real to those men that joy from the Lord strengthened them to persevere the intense pressure and suffering.  Simply stated, joy comes when one believes the Lord has a plan and purpose for their appointed task.  Some of us lament so much what we must go through that we don’t give our Lord an opportunity to release the force of joy. 
 
2 Timothy 4:6 I am now ready to be offered,  and the time of my departure is at hand.
 
Paul had the choice of living and dying and he said dying is far better because he would go to be with Christ forever.  Jewish theologians tell us that they had to put a bag over Paul’s head on his way to be beheaded because they were afraid his joy would inspire the Christians.  Paul was so excited to die and see Jesus that he never once mentioned the pain of death.  The joy of the Lord is a greater force than any hardship we will ever face.
 
James 1:2 Count it all joy when you fall into various temptations.
 
The devil will tempt only those who are a threat to his plans.  The Lord will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear.  So, count it all joy because the devil doesn’t have enough ammunition to take you down.  Every time he fails to “getcha” you become stronger and more confident.  So, count it all joy as you go through this life, the best is yet to come.   

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