A lot of Christians seem to be excelling in every other area of life but still struggle to find joy. Activating joy, even when it’s not convenient, helps a believer to see God’s hands in action. Pastor Oyinda Soderu said this at the August 18 Sunday first service. “You are expected to always express the joy of the Lord in whatever situation you find yourself and not your own joy,” she said.
Reading from the Books of Esther 8:16-17, Nehemiah 8:10 and Psalm 34:12, Pastor Oyinda noted that once a believer is filled with the Holy Spirit, they should always rely on that Spirit of God to supply them the needed joy. This, she noted, would make it easy for them to be joyful in whatever situation they find themselves. “You can count it all joy because you have the Holy Spirit inside of you,” she said.
Pastor Oyinda further said that expressing the joy of the Lord is not a promise but a command; noting that it involves both God and the believer. In her words, “God supplies the joy and you must receive it. Your part is just to receive this covenant joy by faith and not rely on your efforts because they are futile if God doesn’t answer you.”
She admonished the congregation to always rejoice and be glad because that is a sign for those who love God. “You can’t have joy or express it without the help of the Holy Spirit. So, allow Him help you when it’s difficult,” she urged.
