Joy
1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2 For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. (Psalms 47:1-2)
The buzzword these days is anything related to mental health. “We need to preserve your mental health”. “Are you feeling well, mentally speaking?”.The way that we feel and that we emote has finally become a non-controversial subject of conversation for many. While many people will talk about depression, let’s talk about joy.
Describing joy is simple; it’s a good feeling that is generated by something. It can come from winning a game, getting a good grade or even from simple luxuries. Joy is a feeling that many of us get for short periods of time, which isn’t what people want. We want an eternal, powerful and true joy. Something that is consistent and real.
What happens when we don’t have joy? We become anxious, sad, fearful or angry. Any other emotion that isn’t positive isn’t from Yahweh. Depression doesn’t come from the Messiah. That is something that comes directly from the enemy. Moments that are difficult or that change your emotional state aren’t all bad or all come from Satan; Yahweh may send you trials to test if you love Him with all of your heart and all your soul (Deuteronomy 13:1 - 3). How you decide to feel is up to you whenever a trial comes up; the Bible tells us:
“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
James 1:2 - 3
As some trials may come from the Almighty GOD and others may come from the Devil, it’s the same with joy. We, as believers of Christ, need to know the difference of the source of your joy. If your joy is like that of David, where you feel joy every time you are told to go to the house of the Lord (Psalms 122:1), congratulations! If you feel good when you know you are following the path that GOD gave you, congratulations! However, any joy that comes from sin is short lived, ephemeral and will certainly lead you to hell. This is for any sexual sin, stealing, cheating, or anything else that can be seen as contrary to GOD’s word.
Joy is attainable, as you all need to do is ask Yahweh (John 16:24) and to truly believe that it is there for the taking. Forget the elements that caused you pain and torment and accept that Yahweh is constantly working toward your happiness and betterment. Your mental health is important: acknowledge that you will grow out of the darkness and find joy when you accept Yeshua as your Lord and savior; He’s waiting for your hand.