Joy in God

by Andrew Murray

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 14:17

A Christian man said to me shortly after his conversion: “I always thought that if I become religious, it would be impossible for me to do my worldly business.  The two things seemed so contrary.  I seemed to be a man trying to dig a vineyard with a bag of sand on his shoulders. But when I found the Lord I was so filled with joy that I could do my work cheerfully from morning till night.  The bag of sand was gone: the joy of the Lord was my strength.”

Many Christians do not understand that the joy of the Lord will keep them and enable them for their work.  Read the Scriptures and see how the kingdom of God is pure joy and peace through the Holy Spirit.  God will “keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in Him…. through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13).

Then try to realize that the Holy Spirit will give this joy and peace of Christ in your hearts.  It is wrong to think of the Holy Spirit as a matter of grief and self-reproach, of disappointments, of something too high and holy.  The great gift of the Father is meant to keep us in the joy and peace of Christ.

Listen attentively to the voice of the Spirit each day as He points to Jesus Christ, who offers you His wonderful fruit: love, joy, peace.

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