The Mystery Called Joy_4

<p>Friday 4th&nbsp;June&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This Mystery Called Joy 4.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Joy can sometimes be puzzling and very challenging to define because of the way it works. In the context of God’s kingdom, joy can be likened to a self-powering device that inspires us to keep going forward and this is because joy is rooted in God. It has nothing to do with happenings around, so people around you cannot understand it because it defiles present realities. The kind of joy we are discussing here depends completely on your relationship with God. When are able to draw this divine energy called joy from God, it helps to see, speak and act differently in the face of problems?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In 2Timothy 2:9 though in prison Paul was able to separate issues and see what was working to His advantage.&nbsp; Paul said, “though I am limited to a place because of my imprisonment, God’s Word is not in prisoned”. And based on this, he was joyful; his God given assignment couldn’t be stopped by his imprisonment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NLT),&nbsp;17&nbsp;Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,&nbsp;18&nbsp;yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!</p> <p><br></p> <p>Looking at this passage carefully, you will see how the writer was able to separate and isolate the issues going wrong. He was clear on what was happening to the fig trees, the vine, the fields, and the flock, the failure of these things had had economic consequences and that was where it ended. Even at that he was alright personally, his relationship with God was intact, for that he was joyful. He could see that there was failure with his possessions on the farm, but he had no failure in his relationship with God which to him was a greater possession. That possession of the joy of the Lord empowered with the right in