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Great Joy

 Luke 24:50-52 – “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”

Jesus led the disciples as far as Bethany, He lifted His hands, and He blessed them. This was before His ascension and before they went to the Upper Room to spend 10 days seeking to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:52 says, “And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. This is the first time the disciples are described as having great joy.


To say we are living in troublesome times is an understatement.  We are engaged with an enemy who would love to destroy our society, rob us of our freedoms, and eliminate our worship.  The financial world is in a place of uncertainty. Inflation is at all-time highs. The world is in a difficult place and many nations are experiencing financial challenges.


If you dwell on the news, you will buy into the fear and depression of our age.  The Lord is saying, “don’t buy into the fear of this age.  I am your source.” I Corinthians 8:6 says, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”


As believers, we have the promises of God’s Word to guide us and the power of the Holy Spirit to empower us.  I love the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, then who can be against me.” Nehemiah 8:10 reveals that the joy of the Lord is our strength. 


Jesus came to bring us joy.  The Scriptures describe this as “joy unspeakable and full of Glory”. These are very fearful times, but we do not have to live in fear.  2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  


Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” As we wait in the presence of the Lord there will be a release of the joy of the Lord bringing new strength into our walk of faith.

 

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