Let’s Talk About Joy: How to Cultivate Joy in Our Lives: Spend Time in God’s Word
One of the ways that we can begin to cultivate the fruit of joy, as we will find in all the Fruits of the Spirit, is by spending time in God’s Word. Romans 10:17 (AMP) says, “So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.” We can learn to develop our faith by reading God’s Word; and reading, and reading, and reading it again! The more we hear it, the more we believe it (that, by the way, is true of all things – so be careful what you listen to!). When we hide God’s Word in our hearts and believe it, then it will begin to come alive in our lives. The Bible makes several references to joy as it relates to God’s Word:
*Jeremiah 15:16 *AMP), “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart.”
*Psalm 19:8 (AMP), “The statutes of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.”
*John 15:11 (AMP) Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.”
*1 John 1:4 (AMP), “We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].”
You see, God’s Word produces faith and joy at the same time. When we learn to walk in the fruit of joy, we will have developed our faith as well. The two attributes cannot be separated; they work together – we must have faith in order to have eternal joy, yet joy increases our faith! 1 Peter 1:8-9 (AMP) says, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not even see Him now, you believe and trust in Him and you greatly rejoice and delight with inexpressible and glorious joy, receiving as the result [the outcome, the consummation] of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
So, hearing God’s Word brings believing, and believing (which IS faith) brings joy!