Romans 14:17 (AMP)
“[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
The emotion in heaven is joy, and so that means, in this Kingdom, joy is our default emotional expression. There is a long range of difference between joy and happiness. Joy is not circumstantial or seasonal while happiness is circumstantial and can be seasonal. A very important fruit of the Spirit is JOY which means the indwelling Spirit of God produces it in a man and has nothing to do with his external environment. Joy is sourced from within and not from without, it only expresses itself without.
A man who is not living in joy is not living in the Kingdom of God. Satan understands what it means for a Christian to be joyful, which is why he will always want to steal that joy away by bringing in depression. Joy in the life of a believer is a powerful tool in silencing the devil and his wiles. Depression is not born of the Holy Spirit and so it should not have a foothold in the life of a Christian. Most times, suicide is a fruit of depression. For Satan to make a Christian commit suicide, he steals his joy and then introduces everything that will make him depressed.
There is eternal joy in heaven, but God wants us to have the experience right from this earth. Be joyous always and rejoice in the Lord at all times. One good place to get joy is in the presence of the Lord. No wonder the devil always tries to make you skip God’s presence because he knows that is where your joy majorly comes from. Therefore, take heed to your fellowship with the Father if you want to continually enjoy having the joy of the Lord in your heart. Be joyous at all times.
Confession: In every situation or circumstance, I have joy always, for I am born of the Spirit.
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