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

Key Idea:
To many Christians the thought of a life wholly abiding in Christ is one of strain and painful effort. They cannot see that the strain and effort only come, as long as we do not yield ourselves unreservedly to the life of Christ in us. The very first words of the parable are not yet opened up to them: “I am the true Vine; I undertake all and provide for all; I ask nothing of the branch but that it yields wholly to Me, and allows Me to do all.
– Murray

Pray for revelation:
Blessed Lord, fill me with Thy joy–the joy of being loved and blessed with a divine love; the joy of loving and blessing others.
– Murray

Key words:
Joy.

True joy comes from abiding. Alright, I can hear you out there. “You’re only saying that because this devotional series is about abiding and.” Well, it is the easy thing to say. Let me do some paraphrasing. Elsewhere in the Bible it says to count it as joy when tribulations come. So, are tribulations and difficult times joyful? If joy is abiding, is abiding a tribulation? In another place Jesus says that blessed are those who suffer for his sake. That means to suffer for his sake, not to suffer because you did something that deserves punishment.

As mentioned in an earlier topic, sharing love can be difficult. It very well might result in suffering and heartache. This whole abiding thing is looking like it could be painful. Where’s the joy?

What is joy anyway? Where does it come from? How do you make yourself be joyful? The answer is that it is a gift. Specifically a spiritual gift. To some degree each of us has it in our power to decide to be joyful and make changes to our attitude. Your joyful motivations can and will be testedwhen trials and tribulations come around. Self motivated joy can fall fast.

Joy that comes from within. Joy that is a spiritual gift can’t be explained. It is just there. If you manage to remain joyful, even when your world is caving in around you, and all the natural concerns and feelings that go along with it, that is the joy that only abiding in Jesus, the true vine, can give you.

When abiding, and making Jesus your model, and living according to the desires he has for each of us, joy is just there. Abiding is not the tribulations of our lives. Abiding is the shelter that protects us when the tribulations of the world arise.

Having Joy is the mark that a Christian is truly abiding. Draw your energy from Jesus, the true vine.

Tags: Joy

Categories: Discipleship