Dr. Robert C Crowder
Reading:
Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Reflection:
Nehemiah declared a truth that every believer must grasp: “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” Joy is not something we manufacture through positive thinking or muster up through willpower. It is the LORD’s joy, given as a gift, flowing from His presence. Joy is not a passing emotion that we must constantly chase or manufacture through favorable circumstances. According to Scripture, joy is fruit; organic, natural, and inevitable when the right conditions are present. Centuries later, Paul identified joy as part of “the fruit of the Spirit,” not the fruit of human effort, but the organic result of the Holy Spirit’s work in a life connected to Christ. Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Notice that it is singular fruit, not “fruits.” These nine qualities form one unified expression of the Spirit’s work in the believer’s life. Where the Holy Spirit is present and ungrieved, joy grows as naturally as apples on a healthy tree. From Nehemiah to Paul, the principle is the same: joy is God’s gift, cultivated by His Spirit, flowing from abiding in Him.
This is a radical departure from both legalism and emotionalism. Legalism says, “Try harder. Do more. Obey better, and maybe you’ll feel joyful.” However, human effort or religious performance cannot produce joy. It is not the reward for perfect obedience or the prize for spiritual achievement. Emotionalism, on the other hand, says, “Work yourself up. Get excited. Pump up your feelings until you feel something.” But manufactured emotion is not biblical joy. It fades as quickly as it comes, and it leaves the soul empty when the moment passes.
True joy is a fruit, and fruit grows. It is the natural result of abiding in Christ. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” The branch does not strain, struggle, or stress to produce fruit. It simply remains connected to the vine, drawing life and nourishment from the source. When the connection is strong and unbroken, fruit appears in due season; not because the branch worked hard, but because life flowed from the vine.
The Holy Spirit is the One who produces this fruit. He is the divine Gardener, cultivating the soil of the believer’s heart, pruning away dead works and sinful habits, watering with the Word, and bringing forth fruit that glorifies God. Our responsibility is not to manufacture the fruit but to abide; to remain in fellowship with Christ, to walk in obedience to His Word, to surrender daily to the Spirit’s control, and to remove anything that hinders His work in us. When we do, joy grows.
This joy is fundamentally different from worldly happiness. Happiness depends on “happenings”, good health, financial security, relational harmony, favorable circumstances. When those things are present, happiness flourishes. When they disappear, happiness evaporates. But external factors does not control the fruit of the Spirit. Paul wrote from a Roman prison, chained and facing potential execution, yet his letter to the Philippians overflows with joy. He commanded, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”[1] His joy was not in his circumstances but in his Lord. The vine kept producing life, even when the branch was under pressure.
Paul’s statement in Romans 14:17 provides crucial insight into the nature of God’s kingdom: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” External rules, rituals, or regulations do not characterize the kingdom of God about what we eat and drink. It is characterized by internal realities produced by the Holy Spirit, righteousness (right standing with God and right living before Him), peace (reconciliation with God and harmony with others), and joy in the Holy Ghost. These three are inseparable. Where the Spirit reigns, all three flourish together.
Notice the phrase “joy in the Holy Ghost.” This locates the source and sphere of true joy. It is not joy in our achievements, our possessions, our relationships, or our health. It is joy in the Holy Ghost; joy that comes from His presence, His work, His comfort, and His assurance. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.[2] He seals us unto the day of redemption.[3] He intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.[4] When we are filled with the Spirit, we are filled with joy, because the Spirit brings the very presence of Christ into our hearts.
The command to be filled with the Spirit,[5] is not optional. It is a present, continuous imperative; “be being filled.” This is not a onetime experience but an ongoing lifestyle. We are to continually yield ourselves to the Spirit’s control, confessing sin that grieves Him, walking in obedience that pleases Him, and saturating our minds with the Word that He uses to transform us. As we do, the fruit of joy grows naturally, steadily, and abundantly.
Joy is also cultivated through spiritual disciplines. Meditation on God’s Word brings joy: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”[6] Prayer brings joy: “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”[7] Worship brings joy: “In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”[8] Fellowship with other believers brings joy: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”[9] These are not legalistic duties but means of grace; channels through which the Spirit cultivates joy in the soul.
Conversely, joy is hindered when we grieve the Spirit through unconfessed sin, quench the Spirit through disobedience, or resist the Spirit through self-reliance. David, after his sin with Bathsheba, prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”[10] He had not lost his salvation, but he had lost his joy. Sin breaks fellowship, and broken fellowship stifles joy. The pathway back to joy is always the same: confession, repentance, and restoration of communion with God.
On this Advent season, examine the soil of your heart. Is the Spirit free to cultivate joy, or are there roots of bitterness, weeds of worry, or stones of unbelief choking His work? Abide in Christ. Walk in the Spirit. Let His life flow through you unhindered. And watch as the fruit of joy grows; not because you worked it up, but because the Vine produced it in you.
Prayer:
- Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh today and cultivate the fruit of joy in your heart by His power and presence.
- Pray for help to abide in Christ, walk in obedience, and remove anything that hinders His work in you, letting joy flow naturally from a life connected to the Vine.
Consider:
Sing a hymn or worship chorus of joy aloud today, whether alone in your car, in your home, or with your family. Don’t just read the words; sing them as an act of worship and a reminder that joy is cultivated through the spiritual discipline of praise. Choose a song that magnifies Christ and reflects on the truth of His presence with you. Let the singing itself be a means of grace by which the Spirit deepens your joy. Consider “Joy to the World” or “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.”
[1] Philippians 4:4
[2] Romans 8:16
[3] Ephesians 4:30
[4] Romans 8:26
[5] Ephesians 5:18
[6] Jeremiah 15:16
[7] John 16:24
[8] Psalm 16:11
[9] 1 John 1:3-4
[10] Psalm 51:12
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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