The Root of the Joyful Heart Proverbs 17:22
Let us find the root of the joyful heart.
The joy does not lie in the external circumstances but is in our heart.
If we find joy in external circumstances, it is not the true joy, but only temporary. They are more depressing than joyful.
There are artificial joys. We are not happy even though we are laughing.
There are many unhappy comedians who make people laugh.
A patient came to famous Dr. 아버섯 with a sad face.
The doctor examined a patient, but he could not find anything.
He told the patient to go home and listen to a popular comedy show, Grimaldi.
And the patient replied, ‘Doctor, I am Grimaldi’.
Proverbs 14:13 says, ‘Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.’.
No matter how happy we are, we all have some griefs in our hearts.
We have some anxieties when we are happy because we don’t know if we will have the happy ending or not.
There may be some troubles after happiness.
That is because some sadness and troubles exist in all of us after the fall of Adam.
There is no one who doesn’t have any worries or sadness.
The true joy is not in external circumstances but in our heart.
The true joy springs up from our heart.
The stagnant water in the well goes bad, but the stream of water does not.
Our heart is likewise.
If we do not the streams of joy, then our hearts become depressed.
What is the origin of the joyful heart?
1. The clean heart is the root of joyful heart.
Acts 3:19 - 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord
If we repent, then times of refreshing may come.
People who do not repent do not have the true joy.
Especially, the children of God do not have the joy if we don’t repent.
When we repent and cleanse our sins, we restore the true joy in our heart.
There was a clear stream of water in a village.
The water became dirty after a while and eventually stopped running.
So, people followed up along the stream.
The stream was covered and cloaked with leaves and tree branches, and the water was not running anymore.
Villagers cleaned and put away all dust and leaves so that water could start running again.
Water became clean again.
Out heart work in the same way.
If our heart becomes defiled, we lose gratitude and happiness.
If our heart becomes defiled, we become unhappy and depressed out of guilt and suppression.
Born again Christians are influenced by the smallest sin.
We need to repent to cleanse our heart.
If we are hurt by others, we need to forgive others to restore the joy in our heart.
If we have hurt others, we need to ask for forgiveness to restore the joy in our heart.
Many of us blinded by our own ego forget that we are ones who need forgiveness from others but think that we only need to forgive others.
We all need to forgive others and also need to ask for forgiveness from others.
There are so many people who do not have the joy because they have not forgiven others nor asked for forgiveness from others.
There are so many people who can not receive blessing because they have no forgiven others no asked for forgiveness from others.
We need to decide to forgive others and ask for forgiveness from others.
From my personal experience I can tell you that if we do not resolve the smallest regrets, we cannot enjoy any happiness or comfort.
However, I have experience God restoring the joy in my heart when I repent the smallest sin.
If you do not have joy in your heart, look into your heart and resolve the root of the cause.
It does not work, if we try to resolve other things.
David repented and prayed in Psalm 51 to create in him a clean heart, renew a right spirit, and restore the hoy of God’s salvation.
David after having sinned repented with tears every day.
If we repent and cleanse our heart, God restores the joy of His salvation.
2. The fullness of Holy Spirit is the root of joy.
Acts 13:52 – And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit
The disciples who were in worries and fear after receiving Holy Spirit during the Pentecost was filled with joy and Holy Spirit.
Because Holy Spirit is the spirit of joy, we become joyful when we are full of Holy Spirit.
Because joy of Holy Spirit is root of all joys, we are filled with joy despite our circumstances when we receive the fullness of Holy Spirit.
When we receive the fullness of Holy Spirit, we become joyful in everyday basic life such as eating and drinking.
Disciples received their food with glad and generous heart.
That joy did not stay with them alone but was spread to all people of a city.
Acts 8:8 says that there was much joy in that city.
When we confess Jesus as our savior, we have received Holy Spirit.
We who believe Jesus Christ have Holy Spirit in us.
But why are we not happy?
That is because we are not filled with Holy Spirit.
When we are full of Holy Spirit, we are under the influence of Holy Spirit.
If we want to be guided by Holy Spirit, we need to depend on Holy Spirit.
We need to rely on Holy Spirit even with our trivial matters.
We need to rely on Him with our life.
We also need to obey Holy Spirit to be guided by Him.
When we listen to recorded Word of God, we need to obey under the impression of Holy Spirit.
When we do not follow the Holy Spirit, influence of Holy Spirit diminishes and also the joy.
If we continue to reject Him, we no longer have the impression of Holy Spirit nor the joy.
If we are not filled with Holy Spirit, look into your heat and find where it is wrong.
Repent whatever the wrong Holy Spirit makes you aware and decide to obey Him.
Apostle Paul told the Ephesians to be filled with Holy Spirit addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
We can address one another in psalms and hymns when are happy.
When we are filled with Holy Spirit we can enjoy the joy above all our circumstances.
The reason Apostle Paul be joyful always despite his hardships and suffering was because he was filled with Holy Spirit.
I encourage all of you to receive the fullness of Holy Spirit.
You will receive the joy that this world cannot offer you.
You will have the joy that transcends all our problems in our life.
We cannot stop repenting and receiving the Holy Spirit.
Repent should not be one-time occurrence.
As we wash our clothes over and over, we need to cleanse our heart over and over.
The fullness of Holy Spirit does not last unless we keep depending on Holy Spirit and giving our life to God to be under the guidance of Holy Spirit.
We need to continue doing that in order to be continue receiving joy in our life.
When we received the fullness of Holy Spirit, joy of Holy Spirit springs up from our hearts.
John 7:38 and 39 say, ‘38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive,’.
‘rivers of living water’ is the fullness of Holy Spirit.
Jesus said similar thing to the Samaritan woman.
John 4:14 – ‘but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’.
The Holy Spirit is the root of all joy.
Holy Spirit turns our mourning into dancing and strips our sackcloth and clothes us with gladness (Psalm 30:11).
Depend on Holy Spirit who turns mourning into dancing.
Obey Holy Spirit who takes off our sackcloth to mourn death and clothes us with gladness.
Praise Holy Spirit who takes away our cloth of worries, disappointment, concerns, and sorrow, but clothes us with gladness.
3. Joyful heart has great power.
Proverbs 17:22 ‘A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
· A joyful heart is good medicine.
Doctors and psychologists agree that the joyful heart is the medicine.
The joyful heart increases the endorphin in our body and brings mental and physical strength.
We receive the immune to fight the virus.
The most of virus vanishes at sea.
A ship was tested for viruses at the port.
The ship was full of viruses.
The same ship was tested after it has sailed at the sea for two days.
There were no viruses inside the ship.
The wind blow has made viruses disappear.
Have joyful life.
When joyful wind blows in our life, the most of viruses disappear.
· A joyful heart is the cause of victory.
To the person who is struggling with sickness, it gives the strength to fight it.
To the person who is struggling with loneliness and depression, it becomes the cause of victory.
To athletes, it gives the power to win
A joyful heart helps athletes with nerves to be more flexible.
A joyful heart brings victory to a game by making body stronger.
A joyful heart is a key factor to be successful in life.
It gives strength to people who study.
Joy makes people to be smarter and see clear pictures. It increases creativity and memory.
People have infinite potentials.
A joyful heart brings out those potentials.
It also helps overcome struggles in life.
Someone said that a smart person is no match against a hardworking person, but a hardworking person is no match against a delightful person.
· A joyful heart has good influences on others.
A joyful heart makes others happy.
A joyful heart brings joyful life to others.
A joyful heart makes others work with joy.
When there is meeting in a company, one joyful heat being out the best result out of all people.
A joyful heart brings unity and open mind set to others and brings out the best idea.
A joyful heart is contagious.
Joyful parents have good influences on children.
Children learn good life from the joyful parents and cherish it.
Children learn how to love other from loving and joyful parents.
Children learn to love the church from the parents who serve the church with joy.
What kinds of influences do you have on others?
Will other believe Jesus Christ from your life?
Do you have good influences on others?
If we have joyful life, then others will have good influences.
If you have joyful life, you are having more influences on others than you think.
A daughter thought his dad went to heaven on every night.
Every morning, her dad was filled with joy.
He was President Laney of New University of Scotland.
Laney who lived his life with joy like a day said, “Waving ’the flag of joy’ in our heart is the sign the king is now sitting in your heart”.
Is there a king sitting in your heart?
Are you waving ‘the flag of joy’ high?
Let’s say it out loud. “’The flag of joy’ is flapping in our church, family and life”. Hallelujah.
Let us repent to receive a clean heat which brings joy in our life.
Listen to Holy Spirt and repent accordingly.
Ask for the fullness of Holy Spirit.