Text: John 7:38–39

 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.   39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive:  for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;  because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Thursday, 25^th July 2024

 GOD’S JOY IN US

Text: John 7:38–39

Memory verse: John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

When we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, we taste the joy that is at the core of ultimate reality. For when we are born again by the Spirit, we receive the astounding, incredible, empowering, priceless gift of the Holy Spirit who resides in us, just as Jesus promised:

Jesus said in John 14:16–17, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. And when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, the Father, and the Son dwell in us, and we in them. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him John 14:23. Given all that Jesus says about the Spirit in John 14:16, we know that the Spirit factored significantly in what he meant when he said in John 15:11, that these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

“When we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, we taste the joy that is at the core of ultimate reality.”

The only way we can abide in the Son, the only way the Son and the Father can abide in us, the only way the Son’s words can truly abide in us, and the only way the Son’s joy in the Father and the Father’s joy in the Son can abide in us is by the Helper, the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us.

This is why Jesus said that our experience of the Holy Spirit would be like having “rivers of living water” within us. The Spirit is the indwelling wellspring of joy in God that we experience as we “live by faith in the Son of God”. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

CGDS Hymn 18; SS & S 1.

PRAISE, MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN.

1. Praise, my soul, the King of heaven.

To His feet thy tribute bring.

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

Who like thee His praise shall sing?

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Praise the everlasting King!

2. Praise Him for His grace and favour

To our fathers in distress.

Praise Him still the same as ever,

Slow to chide, and swift to bless:

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Glorious in His faithfulness!

3. Farther-like He tends and spares us,

Well, our feeble frame He knows.

In His hands he gently bears us,

Rescues us from all our foes.

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Widely as His mercy flows.

4. Angels, help us to adore him,

Ye behold him face to face!

Sun and moon bow down before him!

Dwellers all in time and space,

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Praise with us the God of grace!   

 Prayers 

1.  Lord Jesus, help me to always know Your Joyful sound and praise You without ceasing.

2.  LORD God Almighty, I create space in my heart only for Your love, joy and peace in Jesus’ name. Amen.    

3.  Pray for others in this regard.