Joy—we use this word a lot in our conversations with other saints; we sing of it; encourage others with it. But, do we understand it? I have been pondering joy for days and have concluded that it is not happiness, for happiness is fleeting.

Joy is the strength of the Vine, Jesus Christ, and it is given to strengthen His branches (that’s we who abide in Him). Just like the substance of the sap, not only gives life to the plant, it also gives it suppleness, a strength. That’s why branches do not break in the high winds of storms, unless they have no sap in them and are dry and brittle. That’s why tall trees, full of sap, wave in hurricane-force winds but are not overturned. Their roots grab into the earth with their supple strength. So it is when joy is in the heart of the saint.

“The joy of the Lord is my strength,” says the psalmist in Scripture. For the saint of God, joy is infused into the deep fibers of the saint’s spirit by the Holy Spirit of God. It is meant to enable us to endure the storms of life in this world but also strengthens us to bear fruit for the increase of the Kingdom. With the joy of the Lord we can suffer greatly yet there is a suppleness in our hearts that keeps us from becoming brittle and thoroughly “broken off.” Joy strengthens us for forgiveness of others, for loving those who hurt us and for blessing those who persecute or curse us. Joy strengthens us for faith when tragedies blow into our lives. Like a root, it holds us, in faith, to believe that God will fulfill all His promises to us and that He will cause all things to work together for our good. “For the joy set before Him endured the cross . . .”

Just as love is the crowning glory of God’s saints; joy is our strength to live godly lives in a world that hates us (See John 17:13-21). Think about it.