“Joy is withered away from the sons of men…Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God?” (Joel 1:12, 16).
Joy! What a scarce commodity this is. There are many who say they are abiding in Christ. There are few who show that they are abounding in Him. Joy seems to be elusive. How indescribably blessed is the believer who has his soul filled with it.
This joy is as real at the graveside as at the fireside. Joy does not evaporate under the heat and pressure of adversity. Joy does not collapse in the presence of calamity. Joy does not sour under the test of poverty. Joy is alive and deep down in the bottom of the heart of a Spirit-filled believer.
Joy is not created by possessions, or by positions, but by a Person — Him! Joy can stand all pressures Satan or circumstances bring against it, but, and ponder it well, the sun of joy in the soul can be eclipsed by our own disobedience.
Joy requires two conditions: submission and service. “If ye abide” — submission — means staying put when you feel like quitting, or you think it smart to quit. Joy also comes through service. Most Christians are activists, they do a lot of things — unprayerfully. Winning the lost at any cost, abiding in Him, allowing Him to live through you — service — brings unqualified joy.