The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 24
Joy is in walking as He walked. Living by His Word is living a heavenly life. Someday we will be together with Elohim, but, until that wonderful day, our joy is in walking in remembrance of Him. This joy, brought on by love, brings a true happiness. Store bought goodies make you feel something for a little bit, but taking a card with a Psalms of praise, and a bit of food, or required supplies, to a family in need, is a joyful act that lasts for well over a hundred years. This is of the Spirit. This is of servitude.
Build thee up treasure in Heaven. Make it so you spend the first decades in Heaven being thanked by people. And do you know what you will say unto them? “I was just an ordinary slave. I only did as I was told. All praise to Yah, for without His footsteps to walk in we would all be lost.” Praise Yah with joy! Praise Yah all you heavenly host!
So where is your joy? Is it in things you used to do? Is your joy the glory days of football or being a bell of the ball? Or is it something you just haven’t had time for? I tried once doing things that were supposed to bring me joy, and it made me a little occupied, but definitely not joyful. Joy only came when I helped others. Animals to able men, orphans to widows, preachers to the lost, I found joy was in helping others, and because of this I submit unto you that the most joyful of all is Yahoshuah, and by the fruit of His Spirit we too can have a lasting joy.
Some fall prey to temporary artificial joy. When we have no joy it is evident we are in need, but when we have a temporary artificial joy it is dangerous and hard to see the severity of our unknown affliction. Temporary artificial joy: sex before marriage, the eating of flesh, the hording of tithe, and the servitude of an unenlightened self. Many who are drowning in this world do not know their joy is false. They believe their stolen candy is sweet, but their being aches for the meal of a welcoming friendship with Messiah.
We dare not allow the destruction of His Work in us by drinking the slow poison of Satan, such as doubt, despair, unrighteous-anger, self-pity we call sorrow, indecision, guilt over past or present, and overbearing inessentials. Every day we ingest minute amounts of conflict, disrespect, sin, and the disparaging heartbreak of unconstructive negative thought.We think it’s no big deal and we’ll just blow it off. But we don’t, because we can’t. Instead it gets buried in our hearts, and some time later we go ballistic over something simple, and we wonder, “Where did that come from?” And the habit of unpleasantness is formed until a nice act merits the wonder from others, “Where did that come from?”
So where do these come from? Selfishness comes from the habit of following the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Joy comes from the Lamb oft treated as a wolf. Notice I said of selfishness, “the habit of,” while joy simply comes from the Messiah. Joy, you see, is His radiance. This is not just the mental and emotional effect of an action of following, for the fruit of the Spirit stems from His grace.
Grace? He first loved us. Died for us while we were yet sinners. Has gone but has not forgotten. Yes, He is building a place for us so that we may fellowship with, and worship, the Humble One of Mercy. Grace? A thousand pages are not enough for even an index to such a collection. No writer would know where to begin or where to end, but by His Spirit I say it all: Joy is Yahoweh.
The only way to have true joy is to truly accept The Holy Spirit, like you did for love, in love. The Spirit will write the Torah on our hearts, and so it is now known that many who claim Him, actually deny Him. They deny the Spirit of Yahoweh’s Torah. The Spirit of Love and Joy.
Unnecessary guilt is a killer of so much joy. Lay guilt at Yahoshuah’s feet and never give it another thought. Easy to say but difficult to do until we see the joy of doing so. I know. Believe me … I know. I once “gave” with a clenched hand gripping my sin, not wanting to let go. I once did not truly give, but by the Power of His Spirit I finally gave, and it was only then I found what happens when you do let go of sin by taking His Hand. Freedom in the Son! Let the past go. You were bought at a price. That pain is no longer yours. You’re a thief to even try to keep it. You’re a New Creation, and they don’t have the guilt … they have the gift of forgiveness through the grace of knowing the Father through His Salvation. Our Father wants you to obey Him, yes, but He is a forgiving and loving Father Who wants you to smile and lay the past or present guilt at His Son’s feet … and to go beside Him and sin no more. Why? So He can drop your past sin into the pool of forgetfulness and walk in fellowship with you always. You are free! And Yahoweh loves you. Is this not joyful news? Don’t let Satan say, “Are you really free?” You are free! Never forget that, or let a friend tell you otherwise.
Sometimes those old memories try to hinder our joy. However, when we say, “See ya later.” to the bad memories, then, we see them later. But when we say, “Goodbye forever.” then sometimes all we have left are dreams; alas, oft our dreams are laced with anger, despair, and sorrow. What do you want to dream? Not when you’re asleep, I cannot help you there. (I know Someone Who can, though.) When you’re awake. Do you dream of killing, endless sorrow, death, or something worse than death? Do you dream of being forgotten? You can throw Satan out! Yahoshuah showed you how, didn’t He? Call out with Him, “In the Name of Yahoweh get behind me Satan, for the Word says, ‘I am free!’” Then you can dream of healing, endless happiness, life, of loved ones and the Saviour remembered, and now you can dream of hope … and be joyous. Dream wonderful dreams of His Will, and then chase after Him until you have hold of His Tzitzit. Let go only to take His Hand.
“And the ransomed of Yahoweh shall return and enter Tsiyon with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10). … Shall flee away. How wonderful a promise. Praise Yah! Praise Yah!
There will always be sorrow in this world; we will cry, but never shut the wellspring of the joy of His great love. Joy comes from complete love and an overt contentment in Yahoweh. If we remember all that Yahoweh has done for us, then joy is ever to be ours. Indeed, our thanksgiving to Yahoweh will be the soil this fruit shall grow upon! “looking to the Princely Leader and Perfecter of our belief, Yahoshuah, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake, having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.” (Hebrews 12:2).
Petting a kitten, kissing your wife, drawing, playing the flute, planting trees, or writing children’s books can cause a smile or an empty look, depending on whether you know Him as Creator or not. If you give praise to Yahoweh in admiration of His Creation, He will show you His Awesomeness and Love. If you give a homeless woman a few hundred dollars worth of food, a Bible, company, and shelter, He probably won’t bless you with a bigger house … but a bigger heart to house more of His Spirit. So let us each give our unjust anger, needless sorrow, despair, hate, pain, and all our life to the Messiah, for He can forget it for us and will give eternal joy back to us. Now that’s lasting joy. Let us give of this new found Spirit of joy, the only cure for the slow poison of negative thought, to a homeless child, to a baby kitten needing a new mom—yes, put the June bug right side up, hold your wife’s hand, and get to know Yahoweh better and better through His Word, Will, speaking to Him, and listening to Him. Let us sing this day a new song of joy by smiling, for we have reason to be joyous! Yahoshuah! He is too much joy to keep to one’s self. I cannot! I simply cannot.
“For You have made me rejoice with Your work, O Yahoweh, I shout for joy at the works of Your hands. O Yahoweh, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep!” (Psalms 92:4-5).
“And the Elohim of expectation fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you overflow with expectation by the power of the Set-apart Spirit.” (Romans 15:13).
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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Additional Scripture References:
Philippians 4:13, Colossians 1:10-11, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:3-9, Jude 1:24:25, Isaiah 29:19, Jeremiah 15:16, Zephaniah 3:13, Psalms 5:11, 30:5, 33, 66:1, 119:111, Proverbs 10:28, 15:21, 21:15, Luke 14:7, John 15:9-12, Romans 14:17, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 2 Corinthians 5:17
