Joy...a Fruit of the Spirit

In my Sunday school class we have been studying the fruit of the Spirit.  (Galatians 5:22) Of course our first week we studied love; and let me tell you, I learned, and am still learning, a lot from that lesson.  Some day I will post my notes for that; but I have continued that study in my personal time and it is not yet finished:).  As you may know, the next fruit listed is joy; but for some reason I was intimidated by that word...so I skipped it and went straight to faith. (I skipped a few others also; but faith seemed the easiest to teach.) My motive for skipping joy was I didn't feel I was qualified to teach someone else about joy.  When I think of the word I think of a personality entirely different from my own.  I don't know many people who would look at me and say..."now that is a joyful person!".  I might be described as calm, or confident; but probably not joyful.  Upon further study I have found that maybe I can talk a little bit about joy.  The simple definition of the word - as we know it- is probably happy.  Images of a person who is always smiling and full of gleeful energy is probably what comes to mind; but Mr. Strong would dissagree.  Below are my notes from our study on JOY.

Joy...a Fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22

Song: I've got joy down in my heart...Jesus first, yourself last, and others in between.
Like words: rejoice, happy, joyful

Happiness depends on happenings; but joy is continual.  John 16:16-33 (v. 24)

Defined:  [OT] Rejoice, age or stage in life, delight, gladness, good, beauty, to be or make gleesome,  cheerfulness, welcom battle cry, clanger, blithesomeness or glee - most common meaning used 43 times.
[NT] Exultation, delight, cheerfulness, to glory in, to rejoice in, to boast, gratify, derive pleasure, to curm or hold in check, gratitude, benefit given, calm delight - the most common meaning of joy used 51 times.

Verses: Nehemiah 8:10; Ps.51:12, 126:5; Isaiah 35:10, 61:3; Zeph. 3:17; Luke 1:44; 15:7; John 16:24; Romans 15:13; Gal. 5:22; Phil. 4: 1; Heb. 12:2; James 1:2; 1 Pt. 4:13; 3 Jn. 4

Since last Sunday was mothers day, I also added this little study about the most joyful mother I could think of in the Bible - Elisabeth.  She is the only mother in the Bible that I can think of that was told that her child would bring her joy and others would rejoice at his birth.Luke 1:5-25, 39-45, 57-80.  (Key verse 14)
John's life - John 3:1-22, Matt. 11:2-19 (prison), Mk. 6:16-29 (killed)

Personal application:  I may not always be bouncing off the walls with apparent happiness, but I can always display calm delight.  I have the Lord as my Savior and he brings me joy - inner happiness and pleasure.  I can strive to train my children in a way that will bring me and others joy in the future.  I can ask the Lord for things in His name that my joy may be full...(I am thinking of one "thing" in particular!) Jn. 16:24

Until next time,