She Carried the FULLNESS OF JOY!! Do you??

So glad you are journeying with us to Christ’s Birth, today we are on to the 2^nd thought God gave me: Do you know you carry the Fullness of Joy? And honest reflection, how is your Joy level?

Very interesting question for the times, we are or have been in, right? It begs the question is Joy an inside inner work or an outside outer work? What is Joy?

We have, live, and get to be Joy and give JOY because of Jesus Christ in us, He fills the inside of us, and Joy grows, enlarges, abides in us. Joy has the Name Jesus! “Joy to the Word” the Lord is Born; the song declares. “Joy” let it move you, let it fill you.

Jesus, Son of God, was born in a stable, no room for Him, no space made, BUT GOD Sovereign Almighty Father, exactly had planned for that, yet to the people of the day, who was expecting the King of Kings, Saviour, Messiah to come War, then rescue and deliver them, that He would come from a lowly position of a vulnerable, dependent baby, who would LEAK JOY to all who would choose to see? But God!!

Joy matters so much to God, He mentions it 93x in OT, and the Hebrew meaning is: ‘glee and exceeding joy’. Joy is Characteristic of who God is, and Fruit Holy Spirit grows in us. That He downloaded and gave to Paul, while in captivity and prison, the book of Philippians, which is called “an epistle of Joy” written to continually remind us, Joy is Always Possible, because Jesus is always Here, Joy is Jesus, and we CARRY THE FULLNESS of JOY, we carry Jesus. How good is God!  

One of my favorite verses and go to is “The Joy of The Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10, this whole book is dedicated to the Rebuilding and Restoring of the Walls, the Foundations of Jerusalem.

God is ALWAYS investing and inviting us to REBUILD and RESTORE, His way in His timing, It’s His very Heartbeat.

If you haven’t read it in a while, can I encourage you this Christ season to make time and re read it asking Holy Spirit for revelation of how it relates to you, and the season you are in.

Nehemiah, at the beginning has heard the news on how Jerusalem is, and he’s feeling down, desolate, fasting and praying for BUT GOD, the King notices, and says in Nehemiah 2:4 ‘what do you want Nehemiah?”

Our God always notices, takes care of how we are, and sees us, He says ““what do you want beloved?”

Matthew 6:25 says “Therefore do not worry about what you will eat or drink…”,

Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

And many more verses tell us how God loves to meet our needs as any Good Father.

This now my life verse and go to verse, “The Joy of the Lord is your strength” was given about 8 years ago to when some heavy things went on and felt the Holy Spirit say, ‘the way through is JOY”, Joy will be your strength, comfort and steadying, but only as you go through, not around, or avoid, but JOY will be your way THROUGH, for as you journey through you will be strengthened with, by and in Jesus.

Joy is a choice, and when you choose Joy, and keep choosing JOY each moment you are choosing JESUS, to carry more of Him and release Joy, Jesus, to and with others. The invitation becomes will you let Joy of Me, of Jesus, be your strength and carry you through, comforting, steadying, and providing you song in the wait? Worship your way through!

I like to think Holy Spirit maybe said ‘sweet girl, will you let the JOY OF HEAVEN fill you, encounter and enter you, and be birthed in you, by you, and be your strength as you journey through to all I have for you and the World?

Joy is INTEGRAL to our Walk, and true lasting enduring Joy can be found only in the Presence of the Lord. We be with Him before we go out, we are filled up, so we can be poured up. His Presence gives us everything we need.

Psalm 16:11

“In Your Presence is fullness of Joy, in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore”

We see Jesus, the Joy in this exchange of the FULLNESS OF JOY, being in the Lord’s Presence, between two pregnant women, cousins, and friends, from different stages of life yet the Holy Spirit encounters them both. Read it all in later part of Luke 1.

Here’s some of their exchange, Elizabeth first:

Luke 1: 44-45 TPT

“The moment you came in the door and greeted me, my baby danced inside me with joy! Great favour rests upon you, for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord.”

Wow, see, feel, hear the Presence of God, the JOY, the delight, the laughter, the Jesus being Glorified and Exalted in tongue? And Mary’s reply:

Luke 1:46-48 TPT

“My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God! My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God! For he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl. And from here on, everyone will know that I have been favoured and blessed”.

Hallelujah, Jesus! PURE JOY, Glee, Gladness and Celebration. As the word of God says “they went leaping and jumping, and praising God” Let’s do the same, leap for Joy, jump for Jesus, Praise God.

Challenge time: Make space to be with the Lord and finish with Feasting on these Truths from His Word on JOY, how we carry Joy, and search out these verses and soak in them.

God how are we doing in each with Joy?

FOUND in God’s Presence? Psalm 16:11

RESULT of Righteousness Psalm 97:11

DELIGHTING in God’s Word Psalm 119:111

COMES when we Trust in the Lord Psalm 40:4

BY Holy Spirit Galatians 5:22-23

Father God, we desire like Mary and Elizabeth to know You more, to know the FULLNESS of JOY we carry is only found and given to us in Your Presence. We want to be ones who hunger and thirst after You and earnestly seek You and Your heart. Jesus we thank You that ‘the Joy of the Lord is our strength” help us to live each day filled up with Joy and leak onto others, You, Your Joy. In Jesus name. Amen.

Paula Blackie

Author/ Editor

Encounter Ministries