“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.”
We are told to be joyful as we serve the Lord and this will become testimony of our knowing Him. Therefore to be the opposite we are serving the enemy it is what he would wish of us to bear little fruit of attraction. To not reflect Jesus as our delight and joy.
Our joy is the fruit that enlightens and reveals Christ to others. When we are unresponsive to the fears and woes of the world. Denies our trust in His faithfulness.
Lack of joy actually brings delay to God delivering what He had planned for us.
“Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path, And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection]. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God], And praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.”
Therefore our joy and gratitude are our weapons of warfare against the attempts of the enemy to rob us of these.
Our enemy attempts to get us so focused on ourselves that it distracts our attention and focus from remaining on the Lord.
Focusing on Him feeds and motivates us to keep our goal in sight.
“[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].”
Honouring God brings revelation and light. To dishonour spirals into darkness and delays. Not taking responsibility to pursue God’s call or worse running away from it as the story of Jonah portrayed, saps our joy.
We are then out of the Will of God, it saps us and calamities hit.
“For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Christ reconciled us to God on the cross. We now have that ministry towards others. To be miserable we would become blunt instruments.
With Joy we are sharp. Jesus is the object of our joy and delight.
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
The illustration shows joyful and gladness as our fruit from abiding in Christ emanating light that pushes back the darkness
Five Scriptures that come to mind:
“Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.”Deuteronomy 28:47-48 ESV
“Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path, And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection]. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God], And praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.” Psalms 97:11-12 AMP
“[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].” Hebrews 12:2 AMP
“For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:21 ESV
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 20 ESV
The song Glorious Day. Passion
Lessisgreater 