2026-05-22
Good morning, Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit directs me to write about the restoration of joy. It’s appropriate to define joy in the spiritual sense first. It’s a profound Spirit-produced inner contentment and gladness rooted in God’s presence, character, and salvation, rather than fleeting earthly circumstances. GA 5: 22 includes it as a “fruit of the Spirit.” This fruit transcends suffering, allowing believers to rejoice in hope even during trials. Unlike happiness, which depends on good happenings, Biblical joy is consistent, because it is anchored in the unchanging nature of God, His promises and His presence. This joy is generated by the Holy Spirit. Joy is a choice of faith, as noted in JAS 1: 2, believers can “count it all joy” during trails, meaning joy is a conscious decision to trust God’s purpose over current pain. Joy is connected to salvation and finds its primary source is the assurance of forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. 1 PET 1: 8 calls this joy “inexpressible and filled with glory” highlighting the supernatural, deep nature that cannot be taken away.
The Greek word, Charis, means “grace” or a “gift,” emphasizing that joy is a gift from God. HE 12: 2 tells us that Jesus “endured the cross for the joy set before Him,” demonstrating that joy and intense suffering can coexist with each other. Paul commands believers to “rejoice in the Lord always” in PHIL 4: 4, emphasizing that this inner state is available in all situations. Biblical joy is deep confidence in God’s goodness, often manifesting as an “inexpressible” joy amidst hardship. This is especially at the time when we have come to the end of ourselves and other humans and find ourselves turning to God.
Can we imagine how the Jews felt, who had been in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities during the exile, when Cyrus the Great of Persia decided that it was time for them to return to their homeland of Israel? In NE 8: 10, “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah had been instructed to gather the third group of Jews and lead them to Israel and freedom. Those from the northern kingdom called Isreal had been in captivity for about 278 years and those from the southern kingdom called Judah for 70 years. While the end of the Babylonian captivity had been prophesied in JER 25: 11-12, no such prophecy had been made for the length of the Assyrian captivity, which had begun in 722 BC. The first group of Jews to return to Israel had been under the leadership of Ezra [EZRA 7: 1-10] and the second group under Zerubbabel, a governor [EZRA 7: 11-26].
The ever-faithful King David wrote a song for the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. He expresses his joy, in PS 30: 11-12, “You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise You forever.” What a joyous occasion that was, even though God wouldn’t allow David to build the temple. That was a task which He assigned to David’s son, Solomon, because David had too much blood on his hands. Much before that in David’s life, he had committed grievous sins for which God, through the prophet, Nathan, had chastised him. David turned to God in contrition, writing the beautiful words in PS 51: 11-12, 17-19a, “Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grand me a willing spirit, to sustain me…My sacrifice, O Lord, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, You, God, will not despise. May it please You to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous…”
Jesus certainly wants us to feel joy. You’ll remember that He gave us this command, in JN 15: 10-11, “If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
PRAYER: O Lord, we all want to have the kind of faith that David and others in the Scriptures had. To do that, we must keep the commands we have been given through the Holy Spirit throughout mankind’s history. Studying the Scriptures with accuracy and thoroughness can give us this joy, as can living the life our God desires for us. I have often said David had faith that overcame fright; we all should have such strong faith. We appeal to You, Dearest Father, to help us to find that joy only You can give—joy that overcomes suffering. 1 PET 5: 7 is to be remembered, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” Lord, You are to be honored, praised, thanked, and adored forever. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’ve been instructed by the Holy Spirit to write the sixth installment in this sub-series on restoration –this time on emotional restoration of our relationship with the Lord—next week. By looking at all these aspects of restoration, we can see that the love of the Lord is not shallow, nor is it ephemeral. He wants us to be close to Him, to the point where His will and the Lord Himself become the Center of our lives. So, we can come to where we can pray RO 15: 13 with wholeheartedness. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” This is something God is eager to do for us, just as He is eager that we should live according to His teaching. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him!
Grace be with You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.
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