“Unfelt joy is not the absence of joy as long as you experience the Lord’s presence.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today –May 3, 2023
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
Don’t you admire followers of Jesus who seem to have unwavering joy? No amount of adversity or negative news seems to slow them down, only in some ways accelerating the joy of the Lord as their strength. How can this be when most wither under the constant barrage of bad news? One common theme in the lives of these uncommon Christians is Love as an anchor deep within their being. Knowing their heavenly Father’s reservoir of love that sustained Jesus in His trials before the cross, in His excruciating aloneness and pain on the cross, and in His exhilarating resurrection after the cross is the same Love that sustains you and me, and in the process produces joyful endurance. Joy is ever present where the Lord is present, so be present with Him.
Joy is a fruit of the spirit, not an unpredictable emotion. It is an indicator of being loved. My spiritual director Tom told me recently that there are times I need to “hold on to unfelt joy,” especially when my circumstances seemed joyless. He went on to explain, “True joy is a spiritual fruit, not an emotional one. Sometimes joy rises from our hearts into our emotions, and sometimes we do not feel it at all. That doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Joy is connected to love, the first fruit of the Spirit, followed by joy…love is the spiritual connector to the other fruits of the Spirit. As we abide in Love (God), the Lord’s life-giving presence results in joy, felt or unfelt.
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, NKJV).
When you see the whole of your life as the cultivation of an orchard of spiritual fruit trees, your long-term perspective keeps things in perspective. If married, your relationship with your spouse intentionally grows deep roots of affection and love that the storms of life are unable to uproot. You look forward to growing old together rather than biding your time until the kids move out so you can check out and do your own thing. If you are a parent, you understand the 18-year window you have to build a faith foundation for the next generation so they embrace their own faith in Jesus, and a love for family, so in a healthy community, they care for one another to carry on to love and obey the Lord. Spiritual orchards are an investment of hard work, patience, and prayer, but one day you will taste its rich flavors of love, joy, and peace. Joy unspeakable!
Stay tethered with trust and love to the life-giving, fruit-bearing community of the Trinity’s love. God as the gardener of your soul with patient love, will continue to prune away the good and bad to make room for the best fruit of the Spirit. Abide in Christ as your Savior, Lord, and friend to strengthen and sustain you with His resurrection power. The fellowship of His sufferings is the pruning process of growing you more like Jesus. And, be infused by the Holy Spirit’s juices of joy so that even when you don’t feel joyful, you can be joyful since the Spirit is the fruit producer of joy through your words, attitude, and actions. Unfelt joy is not the absence of joy as long as you experience the Lord’s presence. Joy is an ever-present gift from your generous God!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, by your grace, I will experience joy, even when I do not feel joyful, through Christ’s love, and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What person or situation are you facing that you can bring joy to?
Related Reading
Isaiah 65:14; Luke 10:21; Acts 13:52; Philippians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:6
Worship Resource
Rend Collective: Hallelujah Anyway
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