“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is Fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” - Psalm 16:11 (NASB)
Whoever said that being a believer in God is a dreary sad life? It is not. In this Psalm King David testifies to the truth that our God makes known to us our life path. Where God is, we find the fullness of joy - that is our promise. In God’s right hand is pleasure. But in this life of sin and pain, joy and faith are besieged. Paul says to Timothy, “Fight the good Fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). It is so with joy as well. We must work for it and fight for it. It’s available in abundance but we must press forward to lay hold of it. Paul said to the Corinthians, “We work with you for your joy” (2 Corinthians 1:24). Here are five strategies* for laying hold of joy.
- Understand that authentic joy in God is a gift.
- Comprehend that joy must be fought for relentlessly. Don’t let the paradox of these first two points distract you.
- Attack all known sin in your life, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Learn the secret of how to fight like a justified sinner repelling piggish guilt.
- Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see God for who He is.
-200-
*Fifteen strategies on How to Fight for Joy
