Filled With Joy

 I think a person will never know how they'll stand up under persecution until it happens to them.  We hope and pray we'll have the courage to endure and persevere, we don't necessarily think we will be filled with joy even despite it.

That's why the verse in Acts 13 gets to me. After Paul and Barnabas were persecuted and driven out of the district they had been preaching in, 

" ... the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (vs 52 ESV).

That doesn't mean they were happy Paul and Barnabas had had to leave the area, rather that they had the joy of the Lord through the Holy Spirit and perhaps lived well enough in that knowledge and understanding to have gotten folks riled up enough to be persecuted.  They had been sincere.

Earlier, before the persecution started, these new Gentile believers had ...

 " ... began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord, ..." (vs 48).

They'd heard the Word of the Lord and it brought them joy.  After the persecution began, they were still "filled with joy."

The joy of the Lord must have been their strength (see Nehemiah 8:10).  I feel that that second part of vs 53 is also a key to their joy and strength despite the tribulation that almost immediately descended upon them when they believed the Lord's word.

That key being the Holy Spirit.  They were filled with Him.  This brought joy and courage.  We believers today are too and can have similiar joy and strength.

It's good to hold these thoughts in our hearts and minds.  Pray that we too, will be able to endure and persevere despite any persecution that may descend upon us.  May the Lord and His Word and His presence with us be our strength.

So be it, Father God.  Amen.

                                                ~  ERC  March 2026  ~

Based on Acts 13 ESV.

Sing, Wonderful Words of Life, along with Joslin Grove Choral.