Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" How often are you to rejoice? You know the answer, Always! You are to rejoice always, because "joy" is the easiest fruit to lose. You can't live off of the joy you had yesterday. Joy can give you strength only when you possess it.
If you had joy last week, that joy will not give you strength today. Joy can only give you strength today, if you have it today. This is why you must rejoice always.
You might say, "I don't feel like rejoicing." God didn't say, "Rejoice, only if you feel like it." No! He said, "Rejoice always." Obviously, God knows that you don't feel like rejoicing always. Yet you need to rejoice always, because if you don't, then you lose the strength to fight.
James 1:2 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds." Pure joy is not happiness. "Happiness" comes from the word "happen." Happiness, therefore, is based on what is happening. If something good is happening, then you are happy. However, God says that pure joy occurs even in the midst of trials--even when your car breaks down, or when your loved ones get sick, or when the boss cut your salary, or when your spouse is in a bad shape after an accident, etc.
Why is James telling us to count it pure joy whenever we face trials? Because joy gives you strength to fight your trials. If you fight the trials, you will overcome. James continues, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (v. 4). You see, James has in mind "victory over trials", not "acceptance of his trials." So by rejoicing, you overcome your trials.
WITH JOY, YOU WILL DRAW WATER FROM THE WELLS OF SALVATION" (Isaiah 12:2-3).
Did you know that there are "wells" (plural) of salvation? When you got saved, you inherited many wells. Each well contains a unique blessing:
One well has a sign on it that reads: HEALING. Another well says: PROSPERITY. Still another well says: SOUND MIND. As you look around at all the wells, you notice another one with a emblem saying: FAMILY RESTORATION.
The more you look at the wells you inherit, the more your heart rejoices.
Notice that this scripture says that with joy you will draw from the wells of salvation. You need muscles--strength--to draw water from wells. Without strength, you can't draw from the wells. This is why Isaiah says, "With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation." It takes joy to draw from the wells of healing, prosperity, soundness of mind and family restoration. Without joy, you can't draw water from these wonderful wells.
Joy keeps you strong and enables you to draw from the wells of salvation.
You may be facing sickness. Yet God has provided the well of "healing." But only through joy can you draw from this well. So rejoice, despite your sickness.
You may be experiencing poverty. But through joy, you can draw from the well named "prosperity."
You may be tormented with fear, worry and depression. However, you can draw the water called "sound mind"--through joy!
Don't get down. Don't get discouraged.
The devil may be able to attack you (after all, he is the god of this age), but he has no power to steal your joy. Joy is a spiritual force inside your human spirit. Satan can touch your body, finances and family as the book of Job teaches, but he can't touch your spirit. Your spirit is off limits to the devil. And since he can't touch your spirit, he can't rob you of your joy.
Satan cannot steal your joy since it is spiritual. If you lose your joy, it is because you gave it away. However, if you keep your joy, Satan can't do anything to you. You can keep your blessings.
