Count it all Joy!

Count: To command with official authority, to consider

James 1:2 says: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." However, we sometimes lose our joy. I'm not talking about the joy that you might have by getting things on the outside; I'm talking about that joy you have on the inside that you allow to work through you on the outside.

Nearly everyone wants joy, but we often look for it on the outside. Getting a new car won't give you the type of joy I'm talking about; buying a new house can make you happy for a minute, but it still won't get you the kind of joy I'm talking about.

This joy comes from within and we must get the right thing on the inside of us - that thing that will in turn make us radiate with joy. When we have that type of joy, things that might be going wrong on the outside don't affect our joy - because it's on the inside working through to the outside.

Not everyone has joy... some people are happy - usually because something good has happened. But when you get the joy of the Lord on the inside, it doesn't matter if something does or does not happen - you are happy anyway! James 1:2 doesn't say to count it all joy... when you get a new house or a new car... no, it tells us to count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, such as being lied on, laugh at, and despitefully used.

We put this joy to work by commanding with official authority the Word of God. The world doesn't give us this joy - no, it comes from the Lord. And when we understand that, we can speak to our trials and tribulations and STILL have joy! We won't have to consider them as problems, instead, we can command them to be joy. But first, we must put the Word of God in us. We can conquer any situation by staying in prayer and by speaking the Word -- things like, "the joy of the Lord is my strength," and "this joy that I have the World didn't give it to me and the world can't take it away!"

Stay in the presence of the Lord, my friends because, as Psalms 16:11 tell us - "in thy presence is fullness of joy."

With all that said, let the Church say amen... and AMEN!