Cast me not away from your Presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalms 51:11-12
What is real joy? The fruit of the Spirit of joy is not like the feeling of happiness, it is much more than a fleeting feeling. The Greek word used in Galatians 5:22 is chara which means joy, delight, gladness, and a source of joy. As I have studied the fruit of the Spirit over the last 20 years I have come to realize that the fruit if cumulative, meaning the fruit mentioned in sequence has all the fruit in it that is mentioned AFTER it. So, the fruit of joy has within it, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All those following fruit are in that fruit of joy.
The fruit of joy is first planted within you at the time of your ‘salvation’ from God and is worked by the Holy Spirit into maturity by how much you are listening to Him and willing to follow His instructions. He is the One who reminds you of what Jesus has and IS doing for you. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives you ‘eyes’ to see and ‘ears’ to hear and discern and understand the spiritual realm. He lets you know what is actually eternally valuable and worthy. Is your heart and spirit choosing His path and instruction? Are you in agreement with Him? Agreement in Him brings joy.
The fruit of joy leads to the fruit of … love (agape = God’s love). That unconditional mysterious love of God that all of us were actually created for, need, and inherently crave in the depths of our soul. So, when desiring more of the fruit of joy in your life ask the Holy Spirit which of the following fruit after joy in that list that you can work on today. This life is to be listening to His instruction in this ‘testing’ place. The ‘time’ before the ‘time’ of real completion is where we are now.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13
You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11
Hallelujah. Maranatha.