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Crammed Full of Joy

Crammed Full of Joy
Words of Faith 2-13-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 15
[11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

What is the quality of life in the true Vine?
First, it is a life marked by joy. The point of all this talk of branch-cutting and pruning was not to make us fear the Lord or worry over the cuts. To the contrary, Jesus wanted nothing less than complete joy in the life of His branches.
What is joy? Joy is a fruit of God’s Spirit in the life of a believer. Joy is not a contrived giddiness or pious countenance. Joy is also more than just a positive emotion. The Greek word for joy means “a calm delight” or “an exceeding gladness”. This joy from the Spirit is quite different from “happiness” which is generally related to favorable circumstances. Joy is a deep peace which results from a confident trust in the Lord and obedience to His will and calling.
Jesus had great joy in pleasing His Father by living a fruitful and obedient life. The writer of Hebrews tells us that it was for the joy set before Him that Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, to sit down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). Joy actually comes from obedience.
When we obey the call of the Gospel there is joy. When we walk in the guidance of the Spirit, there is joy. When we learn Biblical principles, there is joy. The purpose of Jesus’ teaching was to give us abundant life, not a joyless existence (John 10:10).
It starts when we are saved. There is a great joy that comes with our salvation. When we realize that we have been justified, that is, made right with God, through the work of Jesus, we are filled with joy. The burden of guilt is relieved. The separation from God is removed. Like a child who receives a gift beyond their dreams, we are filled with joy to overflowing.
There is a daily joy that comes from walking with Him. In the simplest of ways we find joy as we listen, trust, and obey. It may the joy of giving a word of encouragement or sharing a smile. It may be the joy of stopping to listen to someone who has not enjoyed such respect for a long time.
In daily living, it is not the circumstance we face or the material blessings we enjoy or freedom from hardship that gives us joy. It is the deep and abiding knowledge that the Lord God has us in the palm of His hand as we walk in trusting obedience.
Such joy is really inexpressible but still we try! There is no one way to express such joy. We may express joy in calm and measured liturgy or in exuberant shouts and songs. We may express it in absolute silent awe before God or in loudest strains of our favorite music.
Joy can never be measured by its outward expression. It is only measured by its “completeness”. Jesus wanted our joy to be complete. “Complete” means literally “crammed full” or “perfectly supplied”. Perhaps that will only happen in heaven itself but surely He desires to fill us more and more each day until that time.
Is His joy complete in you? Is it more complete than before? It has nothing to do with how things are going in the world. It has everything to do with what Jesus is doing inside you. Are you allowing His Spirit to work in you? Are you allowing Him to “cram you full” of joy? Are you surrendered to His work to “make you right” with God? Are you rejoicing in the knowledge that He is in charge of this day?

Lord, give me Your joy today. Cram me full. Give me the deep abiding peace that comes from knowing that You have made me right with God and You are guiding my life today. Make Your joy complete in me. In Jesus’ name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2017
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.