Day 7: Abide and Receive Christ's Joy

Come Before Him In Worship: Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise His name forever! For His goodness is unsearchable, His love knows no end. Take a moment to let go of any burden and worship Him. Turn your worries for today into praise. Something shifts inside and all around us when we let faith arise from our mouths, so shout His praise with joy, proclaim how great Your God is! For His joy is your strength, for all eternity; He has poured over you the oil of gladness, He has given you a garment of praise! Take courage, He’s never left you and He never will. Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai, the I AM walks with you! “My Lord, You are worthy to be praised! With joy I drink deeply from the fountain of salvation. I proclaim Your greatness to all the nations. I sing with joy about Your righteousness. You are close to me because I’ve called on You. You are faithful; You always keep Your promise. God of Abraham, God of Jacob, Holy One of Israel—You are the same yesterday, today, and forever! HALLELUJAH! Thank You for what You’ve done and what You will do!”

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

Devotion: Do you think of Jesus as a joyful man? He was a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3) to be sure, but what about joy? Only a few hours after Jesus made this statement about joy to His disciples, His walk toward the cross began. It seems like an odd time to speak of joy, and yet the author of Hebrews reminds us that it was “for the joy set before him he endured the cross.” Speaking of Jesus, the Psalmist says, “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Psalm 45:7) Jesus’ joy was found in His completed work of restoring the relationship between God the Father and a people set free from sin and death! (Col 1:20) We share in His joy by abiding in Him. Therefore, abiding is the key to true and lasting joy! For Jesus’ joy is a joy that overcomes the world’s sorrows and troubles! And His joy also is the source of our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

You may have bought the lie that a life of surrender and self-denial is a life of drudgery and sadness, when in fact, it's the pathway to joy and peace like you have never known. Go all in, fellow saints! Just say “Yes Lord,” to this call to abide, and then watch and see what He will do in your heart and life!

Respond in Prayer: Father, thank You that You have given me everlasting joy! Thank you that You have poured your oil of gladness over me and my cup overflows! Thank you that Your joy is my strength. Thank You for undoing worldly systems and narratives within me and revealing that a life of surrender and death to self doesn’t mean I’m stuck in a doom and gloom pit forever, but that it means joy because I’ve been conformed into Your image and therefore set free! Now I get to experience true bliss! Jesus, thank You once again for detailing a beautiful blueprint of what relationship with You looks like; it models the divine union within Your Person. It is such a gift. Holy Spirit, thank You for revealing all these truths to me, and for a continual revelation of the Father’s heart for me as I abide in You. Keep my heart tender so that I remain humble and teachable before You! I love You, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit—the Great I Am, my true joy and love, forever. Amen!