Why I have JOY!

Dec 20, 2024

Beloved,

It’s a funny thing about joy—it’s contagious! When I have joy, I have to share! The feeling of buoyancy and elation can make me feel like I’ll burst if I don’t share some of it.

But I’ve noticed another thing about joy: It doesn’t necessarily feel like happiness. There is a big difference between the two.

Maybe because I never had joy until I was reborn—a new creation in Yeshua, Jesus.

I discovered this when certain events occurred in my life that I wasn’t keen on; I had joy in my Heavenly Abba/Father even though I was not happy about the circumstances. I can be sad about a situation I am aware of but still be filled with that exuberant joy in Him. Do you know what I mean?

My joy in my Abba, in Yeshua, in Ruach Ha Kodesh/Holy Spirit, is so complete that I can be immersed in love and appreciation for Him and immense gratitude that I am a member of His Body (His people in all the earth), and have such pleasure in the prospect of everlasting life to explore His Kingdom that, at least for a non-fickle earth moment, nothing can bring me down.

Everything on this earth is speeding to a foregone conclusion. There will come a day when there will be no more sorrow, no more grief, no more tears, and no more sin. I’m a person of two natures (my old sinful nature that is at war with the Spirit of God and my reborn spiritual nature that makes me a child of Elohim because of what Yeshua did for me/us/the world).

I have to practice seeing the world through the eyes of Eternity. Still, it increases my joy and trust in Him when I successfully view this world that is passing away with the understanding that evil will finally be cast down, and we who put our hope and trust in Him will be free. It increases my faith and helps me know how to pray Yahuwah’s will for people because His will is that none should die in their sins but that all would come to faith in Yeshua, be filled with the Ruach Ha Kodesh, and begin learning how to live in His Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Elohim comes to live in us when we put our faith in Him, recognize the bad we are prone to do, and decide that we don’t want to live that way. That’s what repentance is, and it’s how we do our part to accept that He has rescued us. His gift of love requires only that we do as He asks of us: Love Him with all our heart and soul and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. Plus, He gives us the spiritual power to do what He asks of us.

This doesn’t make much sense to the logical mind at first blush; Yeshua freely gave Himself as the cost of our ransom for our sin. Why do that? Because Elohim loved the world so much that He sent His son to make that ultimate sacrifice so that we wouldn’t have to perish in our sins. It is a matter of faith, followed by the desire to be obedient to Him as we sojourn on this earth until we are finally made free to live in Paradise with the Lord.

It's not a great deal for the Lord—take my sins, pain, baggage, years of striving to survive, disappointment, and loss in exchange for forgiveness of everything I’ve ever done, and adoption into His family. But that’s the deal. And now you understand the source of my joy!

I know I’ll talk about this again. It’s a recurring theme for me, and I can’t imagine I’m the only one.

I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Shalom shalom,

Pastora Cate

Pastora Cate's Corner

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