Joy and rejoicing—in every case, in every way, and of all kinds—indicate strength. Joy produces a desire to work; it generates courage and strength. Joy and rejoicing are energizing. When you are glad and rejoice, whatever was difficult and made slow progress and was at a standstill, now proceeds effortlessly. Then one thing after another gets done; things keep moving. Whatever was not started gets started. Now you think of something that you didn’t even think about before, and good gifts just flow out. For example, it happens that men of the world hand out 10 to 20,000 kroner to the needy out of pure joy that they are celebrating their fiftieth birthday. In Esther 2:18 we see the effect that joy had on the king’s heart when he received a new wife: he waived the taxes in all the provinces and gave away many large gifts. When earthly joy can accomplish so much in such a short time, in a matter of hours, what then do you think heavenly joy, true and eternal joy, well-founded joy is able to accomplish in a human heart, dear brother and sister? We have many strong exhortations in the Scriptures to be glad and to rejoice in the Lord our God, and we have many good reasons to do that. Then why do believers have so little joy on the day of adversity? (Even ungodly people are happy when things are going well, so that doesn’t actually mean anything.) There is a certain reason for this, a very sad reason, and that is that their faith in the glory of eternal life, etc., is a dead intellectual faith. It is as dead as a doornail. It is ineffective instead of being effective. That is the fact of the matter. Just check it out. It is absolutely impossible to have a living faith in something so great and good and glorious and everlasting without being jubilant, rejoicing, happy, and thankful. It is impossible. It cannot be done! Living faith in what we, in terms of doctrine knowledge and usually say we believe, automatically creates an abundance of joy (2 Cor. 8:2); this, in turn, results in a tremendous power and capacity to work, leading to countless good deeds (first of all generosity, among many others—verse 3) as well as constant blessedness when you (for example) are robbed or cheated or slandered. All the evil in the world cannot put a “fly in the ointment” of a person who is in possession of such joy, for it is indeed a joy and happiness from another world! All of this world’s troubles bounce off it like water off a duck’s back. There are doubtless many things in this world that can be inherently unpleasant and oppressive, but compared to the glory of eternal life, all these things are only vanishing trifles. It is living faith that makes such wise comparisons with “the speed of lightning.” In John 15:11 and 16, as well as in 1 John 1:4, we see plainly and clearly what God’s will, intention, and decisions are: namely, that our joy may be full! Dear friend, have you ever taken the time to reflect on what fullness of joy means, approximately? Take a look at Romans 15:13! There we see that the intention is for us to be filled with all joy. Glory to God in the highest, and honor to God on earth! Joy flows into our hearts as soon as faith has become living, and with it a whole column of other good and glorious things and virtues such as: thankfulness, praise, worship, goodness, generosity, being carefree, light, a future, and hope. In 2 Corinthians 13:11 we see that in order to obtain this fullness, and in order to allow our-selves to be exhorted, of being one mind and keeping peace with one another, we must first be able to rejoice.Norwegian Bible: “Finally, brethren, rejoice . . . .” This is comparable to the iron having to be hot before we can forge with it. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Phil. 4:4. “Rejoice always . . . .” 1 Thess. 5:16. These are very strong words. It is easier said than done! However, when can it be done? As soon as faith in the glory of eternal life (among other things) has become living. As soon as you are filled with the Spirit. Glory to God! Ephesians 5:18, ff., shows us plainly that by being filled with the Spirit, a tremendous joy and blessedness develops and unfolds in our heart flows out of our mouth. Make sure that you become happy first of all; then the rest will follow without any problem.Elias Aslaksen