*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary: What is the Joy of the Lord? Does discipline bring joy? Is the Joy of the Lord an all or nothing type of thing? Show Notes: • There are various experiences and expressions of joy • Joy is tied into Love • In His presence is fullness of joy References: Nehemiah 8:10  Then He said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for the joy of the Lord is your strength Psalms 16:11  You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalms 51:8  Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Ephesians 4:13, 14  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Hebrews 12:11  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it ’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. Romans 9:28  For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. Quotes: • The Lord is putting us through the things to create us into sons • I want to coin the term: Mature Joy • As we mature the process gets shorter Take Away: As an immature child, discipline is not joyful at all. As we mature in the Lord the process is shorter as we do not run from it so much and realize the Joy set before us.        

Deb

Yeah, I think about the joy of the Lord is our strength. In His presence is fullness of joy. Even when your bones are broken, you rejoice.

Laurie

Basically, how does that work in your life? I had a lot of Joy when I first accepted the Lord. there was a tremendous amount of joy, and just feeling loved and accepted. And then that started to wane over time. I know in a walk with the Lord, there are Seasons, not everything was 100%, Joy, all the time.

Ed

I think sometimes as the Lord's putting us through the things to create Us into sons.

Ron

I want to coin the term. It's called mature Joy. (Deb Yeah,) When you're a new Christian, everything is new and there is a flood of joy and love that you feel. You're experiencing a relationship with the Lord that you've never had. It’s kind of like a honeymoon experience. We’ve talked about that before. And so there’s a lot of joy and there's a lot of love that’s poured out on you. And then God puts you; begins to put you through the Hoops, to become a mature son. And those not necessarily are very joyful, or very happy, or very fun.

Deb

I think you’re seasoned; it's gotten deeper, it's more intense, it's more focused, and it becomes easier, I think, as we mature because we know what it is.

I think that maybe the maturing process is being cut short; that the maturing process is speeding up. (Allan, Absolutely) I believe it could be cut short, In righteousness.

Dale

I think isn't it in Hebrews where He's talking about the chastening of the son? (Allan correct) I think that our human mind has been so trained that we think that joy is all about, making me feel good. (Deb right) There is a definite side to Joy, that’s still there but it doesn't feel good. And my case that's my human appraisal of the situation. That there is a discipline of your spirit. God uses a human situation to discipline you. And then there is spiritual discipline, that comes. When we're done there's one major thing that we are is we’re thankful. And thankfulness brings worship. Worship brings Joy to The Lord, and returns to us joy. What you're getting at Deb. How does a mature Son of God Look at when he comes to change us? Every son whom he receives, He chastens. Throwing out my human mind, there is a joy that God brings with His changing you because He loves you.

Ed

Christ's Joy on the cross was that He knew was what He was doing, that now we would have an open door back to the father that was closed to us in the garden. Right. The joy of having us back with Him. Being able to talk to the Father, being able to be in His presence, which is the one thing that Adam had. And now the veil is rent and we are back where we can reach into the Father and commune with Him.