#29. July 20, 2015
2015 Devotional. Our goal for these weekly devotionals is to grow in humility and to grow spiritually by memorizing selected passages, putting them into context, and by applying them to our daily living. These passages are taken from: “100 Verses Every Christian Needs to Know” by Freeman-Smith. All passages are from the NIV.
John 15:11
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Recently we memorized verse 9 of this chapter that summarized the main theme: The first division of chapter 15, “The Vine and the Branches” is the introduction to verse 9 and to the rest of the chapter. This chapter is about being with Jesus, more specifically being in Jesus and “remaining in His love”. The introduction tells us to stay in Christ like a branch to the vine. Apart from the vine the branch is dead and so with us we cannot do anything apart from Jesus Christ. The verse we are memorizing this week is about joy: joy that is full, complete joy.
Joy is a theme that runs throughout Scripture, one example being; “in your presence there is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16: 11). “The joy of the Lord is our strength”. (Ne. 8:10). Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5: 22-23). “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Php. 4:4) and also in John, I John, and 2 John. Joy comes with God’s presence. Is God’s presence with us today? Yes!
Followers of Jesus who seek God experience His presence, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” Jas. 4:8, The Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us (Jn. 14:15-21). One reason we may not feel God’s presence is that we are able to suppress the Spirit in us or the world may be too much with us. The Spirit does not force himself on us. God wants a close relationship with us in all aspects of our lives. God gives us His Spirit and He gives us faith. The result is God’s constant presence and increasing joy, joy that is full and complete. Praise is to God!
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Heavenhigh 