I’m Joseph Z, and I want to talk to you about one of the most powerful weapons there is: the weapon of joy. You know, joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness is a situational feeling. You know, happiness is when you have chocolate cake. Happiness is when somebody says something nice to you. Happiness is when you get that pay raise. Happiness is when you have a situational, momentary victory. Happiness is situational. Joy is a spiritual force.
We know that Nehemiah says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” We understand all of this, but I want to say something even beyond that. Many people look at joy as a topic. They look at it as something that they kind of experience from time to time. No, joy is intentional because it’s connected to your faith. We know that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy. Joy is something that you can employ and spring on the kingdom of darkness or spring against your problems, and you’ll begin to see results.
Now, your problems may not change, but joy will change you and change begins, and then as you change, as a byproduct, your problems or the things around you will begin to be altered eventually. Now, here’s what I mean by giving joy a voice. Number one, we realize Psalm 2, it says so clearly here in Psalm 2:4, it says, leading up to this that the nations rage, they plot a vain thing. They’re doing things against the Lord and His anointed, and then it says in verse 4, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” Do you know God laughs? Ha ha ha. God laughs. God laughs.
The book of Hebrews goes on to say that Jesus, speaking of Him, it says He was anointed with the oil of joy, or He was full of joy more than all his yolk fellows. What does it mean? In my mind, that means Jesus was the most joyful, happiest Man on the face of the earth. “For the joy set before Him, He endured the shame.” Joy gave Him strength. The joy of the Lord was His strength to overcome the cross. And do you know what the joy set before Him was? Seeing you, knowing you would have the opportunity to serve Him and follow Him, and have a life to the full till it overflows in abundance. That’s what Jesus’ joy was about.
Now, joy also is a position of authority. Let me explain. When darkness comes at you or difficulty comes at you, there are times that you need to release joy in the form of acting like God, where you laugh. You laugh in faith, you release your joy by giving it a voice and laughing. Ha ha ha ha. I’m telling you, if you can begin to laugh and release joy as laughter against circumstances that look contrary, you know what that does to the kingdom of darkness when you begin to release joy over things that are coming against you? Let’s say you get the worst news you’ve ever heard, and your response is to go, “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha,” you begin to laugh. You know what you’re doing? You are disrespecting the devil’s authority. You’re saying, “I don’t respect that.” It’s good to disrespect sickness. It’s good to disesteem darkness that’s trying to steal from you, kill you, and destroy anything in your life. The best response you can give it is the laughing voice of joy.
Give joy a voice in your life today. Practice laughing. Some of you need to laugh. Maybe you haven’t laughed in a long time, but today’s the day you can begin to release the joy of the Lord, which is your strength. And joy can be released at the most inconvenient times, times when no one sees it coming. But you need to release that voice of joy, which comes in laughter. That is an act of worship and declaration. Everything is gonna be okay.
And let me just say that over you right now as you’re watching. You might be going through hell, but everything is gonna be okay. You are gonna be okay! Man, I hope this helps you today. Jesus is Lord, I’m Joseph Z and I look forward to seeing you again very soon.