Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Fruit of the Spirit - Joy

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Yesterday I started writing about the fruit of the spirit. Fruit takes time to ripen, which is against our current "instant" gratification culture. The attention span of the average adult is (I read this on the internet - so it must be true) now 8 seconds. Two things about that. It was 12 seconds in 2000 (17 years ago), and a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.

Now here is another "rabbi trail". How would we know a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds (one second longer than an adult human)? If we pay attention to a goldfish, who is going to look away first? Then how do we know the goldfish isn't still looking? LOL

Today's fruit is joy. In Hebrew Simcha (I may not have mentioned yesterday's fruit, love, is Ahava. Do I really have to tell you every time I'm teaching you Hebrew? What other language are you expecting from me?)

Yeshua is quoted ... John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full." You know what's interesting here? Yesterday I quoted John 15:10 on love.

What is fullness of joy? The world (and the prince of this world) wants to confuse everything of God. For every beautiful and perfect fruit of God, Satan has a counterfeit, usually by the same name. Yeshua says, "That My joy may be in you." That joy is not of this world (but it is IN this world).

The Bible defines Yeshua's joy as going to be sacrificed on the cross. Heb 12:2 focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Biblically speaking, joy is simply knowing that every test, trial, hurt and pain will lead to a greater good; a higher redemptive experience. May each of us also find joy in following the will of the Father, as we lead lives that put the needs of others before our own.

Shalom R. Michael.