MAY 9 – JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

“…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17).

Salvation provides joy. At the same time, more joy comes through anointment of the Holy Spirit. If God of gods who dwells in heaven descends and dwells in you as Holy Spirit, is it not a joyous thing! Factors like God staying with you, speaking with you and guiding you bring happiness after happiness to you.

Secondly, the love of God is poured into your heart (Romans 5:5). The greatness of the love of God makes one taste the love of Calvary. Is not His love better than wine? (Song of Solomon 1:2). Your life will be delighted in proportion to what level you taste the love of God.

Another reason for the happiness to come into you through the Holy Spirit is the gifts of Spirit getting ripened within you. As the river, which is the Holy Spirit flows into you, the gifts of the Spirit are formed within you. How sweet these fruits are! We read those nine gifts of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.

You move forward happily to do the ministry of God when filled with the Holy Spirit. Is it not a blessed experience to do ministry to God who had descended to earth to minister for you? Is it not a joyful responsibility? Paul, the apostle, writes, “…that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and maybe refreshed together with you” (Romans 15:32).

Joel, the prophet, introduces that happiness to the children of Zion in this way. “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month” (Joel 2:23). Yes. God will bring the rain. Just as the rainwater fills a tank, the rain of Holy Spirit fills your heart and overflows. Your heart overflows with divine joy and happiness.

The disciples who were already filled with the Holy Spirit were filled with joy also by God. The Scripture says, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52). Dear children of God, may you also be filled in the same way! You will surely have delight and joy when getting filled with the Holy Spirit.

To meditate: “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High” (Psalm 46:4).