Foundation Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”             

1.         Psalm 16:11 (NKJV), “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

We look in so many PLACES for joy. We think we will find joy in our spouse, in our family, in our home, in our finances, in our job, in entertaining activities. We may find a seasonal happiness in these things, but true JOY is found in the Lord, and in Him alone. Every other kind of joy is simply a state of being happy. That state of being happy is a passing thing. The Joy that comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit is lasting, deep and effervescent. This Joy is like a fountain ever springing up, no matter what the circumstances of our life may dictate.

The Scripture above states that in the Lord’s Presence is FULLNESS of Joy. This is because when the Lord is Present with us, He Himself meets our every need. There is no need that we have that cannot be met by the Presence of the Lord. We live among a people that are desperately seeking a state of joy. They try all kinds of things to obtain this joy that they seek. However, the world refuses to come to the One that can supply this Joy free of charge and with abundant glory.

2.         Psalm 16:11 states that “You will show me the path of life...” Another scripture states, Proverbs 16:25 (Amp), “There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.” In this life, there are many paths. Many paths “seem right” and harmless enough. However, they will not lead us to true Joy. True Joy comes from the Presence of Jesus Christ and none other.

If we seek to be “happy”, then we must orchestrate all of our life to cause happy feelings in our hearts. Happy feelings last only so long, then they turn to dust and blow away. Family gatherings can be “happy feeling” times. However, have you ever looked forward to a family gathering only to have it destroyed by bickering and strife? People become offended and turn what was planned to be a place of joy into a place of nightmares of condemnation, accusation, and grief.

Behold the bride and groom as they share vows of commitment and love, sure in their hearts that they have found the source of true happiness forever in each other. If the marriage does not have Christ as the center, it is not unusual several years later to be counseling angry, hurt people who have become disillusioned with the idea that joy can come in the sacrament of marriage. “(He-She) doesn’t make me happy!” Becomes the distraught cry of the aching hearts.

3.         As we grow older and our departure from this earthly life becomes more and more imminent, we tend to take an inventory of our lives. One of the first things we analyze is, “Am I happy? Has my life held joy?” Most would have to admit, “No, I never did become the person of my childhood dreams.” Little boys don’t end up as astronauts, little girls do not become princesses married to their Prince Charming living “happily ever after” in a place of the king. Or maybe yet, we do attain the fulfillment of our dream, only to find that it is not as we thought it would be. So we go on to quests of other dreams, or we simply give up and live our lives out in a quiet despair of ever finding that place of joy and contentment. If you have come to that place of disillusionment - hurray! You are ready to hear the Good News! Joy is found in Jesus, and Him alone. His Presence brings FULLNESS of Joy, no matter what the circumstances of this life. We do not have to orchestrate things to go our way in order to have Joy. This is a very liberating concept, because it means that we become the “treasure hunters” of life, always looking for the joy to be had in every and any circumstance. Jesus is the Author, the Underwriter, the Finisher of our faith and our ability to experience true Joy.

4.         Consider the following scriptures:

Psalm 5:11 (Amp), “But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy, because You make a covering over them and defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.”

Psalm 30:11 (NIV), “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,”

            Psalm 34:5 (NIV), “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”

            Psalm 35:9 (NIV), “Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.”

            Psalm 46:4 (MsgB), “River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city, this sacred haunt of the Most High.”

            In all of these scriptures the Presence of the Lord is the source of true Joy.

5.         Sometimes, many times, our lives are like barren desserts. They are filled with sorrow and suffering. Evern the words of Jesus promise: John 16:33 (NKJV), “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

When we feel barren and deserted, that may be the place that God has chosen to bring forth fountains of living Joy. Fountains that have their source in Him, Him alone.

Isaiah 35:6 (Amp), “Then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”

Isaiah 35:10 (Amp), “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

5.         Consider the words of Jesus in Luke 6:20-23 (MsgB), “ Then he spoke: You're blessed when you've lost it all. God's kingdom is there for the finding. You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal. You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning.” "Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do... and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

6.        The question is, “Is God enough for us? Is it His Presence that brings us Joy? Or are we deceived by the promises of this world, that joy comes when everything suits us? Galatians 6:14 (MsgB), “For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate.” Don’t allow the world system dictate to you the conditions for joy. True Joy is found in The Presence of the Lord and Him alone!

Foundation Scripture:

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)

    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

1.         Patience! One of the most impossible of the fruit of the Spirit of God to manifest in the life of a Christian. This is the one fruit that shows us how much we need God to produce His fruit. Patience! I remember when as a new Christian I was warned not to pray for patience because, “tribulation works patience”. However, we ARE called to manifest the fruit of patience in our lives.

Consider the words of Job: Job 6:11 (Amp), “What strength have I left, that I should wait and hope? And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient?” In the midst of his severe trials, he could not even glimpse the hope of evidence that this would one day be over and he would once again walk in the state of being blessed of God. However, at the end of his trials Job makes the statement: Job 42:2-6 (MsgB), "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand —from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry—forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."”

2.         There is something great and awesome that happens to us when we pass through the fire of affliction and learn to endure with God as our ONLY hope. Most of the time we would like someone to wave a magic wand and declare us patient and enduring saints. However, the budding of patience comes only under pressure. Like the “hot house” flowers that can be forced to bloom out of season, it is the forcing of life upon us at inopportune times that brings forth the bloom of this tremendously powerful opportunity to experience God’s power and presence in this life. The fruit of patience equips us to endure the unendurable, to love the un-loveable, and drink the cup that we would in our own selves despise as gruesome and intolerable.

It is in this “hot house” of forced affliction that we learn to take an inventory of our lives and sort out the important from the insignificant. We are called upon to consider those that went before us: James 5:10-11 (NKJV), “ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV), “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

Finally, we are called to remember the cost to our Lord Himself, Hebrews 12:3 (NKJV), “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

3.         It is easy to become weary and discouraged during the times of patient endurance. Those are the times when we are believing in the promises of God for our lives, yet we see no evidence of their manifestation. We look around us at others that are inheriting God’s promises and cry out to Him, “What about me?!?” There have been times that we want to scream, “God, have you forgotten that I am even here?” “Where are You?” “What have I done to incur Your wrath?” “How come they’re so blessed? They’re not living nearly as well as I am for You? What are You doing God?”

At times like these we are called to put on new clothes. Consider the following scripture: Col. 3:12 (Amp), “Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].”

When we wear clothes, they are other than us. They are placed upon us to cover our nakedness. They are given to us to keep us warm and comfortable, or to enable us to keep cool and calm. Clothes cover us. They can aid our sense of well-being and definitely represent who we are to the world around us. So it is with patience. At first, we are very aware that patience and endurance are “new clothes”. We have never walked this way before. They feel alien and the fit is not yet perfect. They jab and itch, and we would like to simply peel them off and get back into our comfortable old sweatshirt and jeans of anger and impatience. However, the longer we wear our “new clothes” the more comfortable they become. Soon, we find ourselves feeling quite at home in patient endurance. We learn that these clothes protect us from the fiery furnace, the hailstorms of hardship, and the hard rain of persecution and rejection. We get into the habit of trusting their ability to protect us from the worldly weather. We allow them to represent us to the world around us and we learn to trust the one that imparts such beautiful garments to us. In fact, the old clothes of impatience, anger, etc. begin to feel alien, and eventually, we are willing to allow God to throw them in the trash where they belong.

4.         Patience and endurance requires that we wait for that for which we hope. Like the woman who discovers she is pregnant. She receives the hope and promise of a baby. This baby is coming and will be here in the not too distant future. She begins her preparations for that which she knows will come. However, those looking at her in the first months of her expectancy can see no evidence that a baby will ever come. Without that positive test, even she may begin to question the promise. However, before long, she will experience certain “evidences” that she is indeed pregnant. Some of these “evidences” are not totally pleasant. First, there may be morning sickness (definitely unpleasant). She may have cravings, and may be very tired all of the time. After a while that which has been growing on the inside begins to manifest on the outside. As time goes on, the presence of this promise becomes more and more evident until finally there is what is called the birthing, and she can hold and enjoy that which was promised so many months ago.

Just like the expectant mother, we become “enlarged” with out hope of that which God is producing within our lives. Others may look at us and proclaim that they can see no evidence of change. However, we know the test results. Jesus has come into our hearts and He is working within our lives to produce His life within us. Pretty soon we may begin to experience some unpleasant side effects of change; however, we know it is worth it, for the day will come when we can enjoy the fruit He has brought forth from within us. Not only will we enjoy this fruit, but all of those around us, touching our lives, can begin to eat of it also. Consider the following scripture:

Romans 8:25 (Amp), “But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure.”

            Romans 8:25 (MsgB), “But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.”

Hebrews 10:36 (NKJV), “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:”

We are not of those that shrink back, but are of those that are allowing the power of God to grow within our lives the fruit of patience and endurance. Praise God! Col. 1:11 (Amp), “[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy,”