Spirit Breakfast 🍞☕ 7th February 2019

- February 07, 2019

Theme: Joy: The Spiritual water-drawing equipment

Anchor Text: Isaiah 12:1-3 King James Version
[1]And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
[2]Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
[3]Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

Most of us don't seem to understand why after we've given our lives to Christ Jesus we still don't enjoy that satisfaction we were told of can be found in Jesus. That satisfaction that ultimately quenches our thirst; that makes us stop looking for other wells of satisfaction. Like Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4:14: 'But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;thirst...'

The answer can be found in our anchor text. It is an explanation of our Salvation process. It shows us why some belivers enjoy the waters of salvation more than others. Let's explore it a bit shall we...

Prior to God's descent into the world in human form in the person of Jesus, God was constantly angry with the wicked every day (Psalms 7:11). However love prevailed and we got John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus' death brought us closer to the Father in ways we still are yet to understand. We inherited all of God's nature and resources readily at our disposal. At the initial stage and point when we receive salvation, we are nearly ecstatic because of the abundance of Joy that we feel. Just like how the Samaritan was so joyful she ran leaving her waterpot to share her story. We readily sing songs of praises and worship and we seem not to have any care in the world at that point.

However, as we continue as believers we tend to forget that slavation doesn't just mean saved from sin. We forget it includes our spiritual growth, prosperity, healing and all sorts of deliverance. So when we are faced with life's challenges, we forget that the joy we received at the new birth isn't supposed to be a one-time thing but a life-long practice.

Let me say it clearly that lack of Joy is the reason we are unable to lay hold of all that salvation has in store for us. Nehemiah 8:10 '...And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.' If the Joy of the Lord is our strength, and it is with that Joy we can draw from the wells of Salvation, then Joy is a necessity that should not be absent in a believer's life.

Joy is so important that it is the second fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 and is second only to none other than Love; which is the greatest of all virtues and gifts according to 1 Corinthians 13:13 & 14. Joy is second to Love because it is not an emotion or feeling alone but the very person of God; '...for God is Love' (1 John 4:8). This Love produces Joy that strengthens us to draw living waters from the wells of Salvation.

Do not lose your joy no matter what you may face. It is a trick from the devil to make you lose hold of your inheritance. There is no depression, worry, fear or any of such negative emotion in heaven only Joy. To lay hold of Heaven's realities and resources, your natural disposition (a function of the Holy Spirit in your life) should be JOY.

Whatever makes you lose your Joy in the Lord can make you lose your salvation as well.

Prayer: Whatever has caused you to lose your Joy in the Lord, I pray restoration today. May you break forth in unending Joy and put to the devil to shame in your life in Jesus name.