“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11
Many times, while on earth, Jesus manifested joy to those around us. I can imagine the joy that was present when He gathered the children in His arms and blessed them. There was joy as He held the little boy’s lunch in His hands, blessed it and multiplied it to feed the hungry crowd.
There is a difference between happiness and joy. We may not always be happy because we all have things in our life that take away from our pleasure. Life is not always pleasant. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. But no matter what our circumstances are we can have joy in our hearts, because we know that the Lord is in control of every part of our life. And we can trust Him completely to bring us through. The Scripture tells us that He was tempted in all points as we are, and He knows just what we need even before we ask.
The sun may not always be shining, the sky may not always be blue, but behind the clouds is the rainbow of His love. The Psalmist said, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. As we show an attitude of joy even amid sorrow or trouble, the world will see Jesus shining through us. He gives joy for the journey.
Love, Compassion, Mercy, Forgiveness, Hope, and Joy are some of the characteristics that Jesus manifested to the world. When the world looks at you and I do they see Jesus?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray you will keep working on our hearts, fashioning us after your pattern. Let the attributes you portrayed, be evident in our daily lives, so that the world will see Jesus in us.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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