How to Experience Greater Joy Through God’s Presence
By: Mark Furlong
Tags: God, Jesus, Happiness, Prayer, Joy

God’s Desire is that You Experience Holy Pleasure with Him

Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash

Our Holy God is Full of Joy

Most people don’t associate “God” with joy and pleasure. But the Bible describes God as being full of joy and having time with Him can be joy-giving for us.

“In Your presence is the fullness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11

For a variety of reasons (sins distortion of our souls, the enemy’s lies, God dealing with horrible, lasting sin in the Old Testament…) even many Christians don’t see God as joyful.

And yes, God hurts with those who hurt and gets angry over evil and it’s effects in people’s lives. He is also the most joyful Being anywhere, all at the same time. God is multi-dimensional and has capacities beyond our understanding.

God has the ability to have a direct, personal, intimate relationship with billions of people all at the same time. He has the desire and ability to love you, interact with you, and fill you personally!

And the Bible says over and over again that God is love and His presence is the highest level of joy possible (“fullness of joy.”) When something is full, there is room for no more. In God’s presence is joy to the max.

God is perfectly holy, without sin or any trace of evil. He is light and in Him is no darkness. (1 John 1:5)

Godly holiness goes hand in hand with perfect, untainted joy.

You Are Warmly Welcomed By God

On days when I know I’ve really messed up, I used to hesitate about coming to God. He is holy, I am not.

But once I really got the truth that I was never good enough to come to a perfect, holy God because of my virtue or actions, but Jesus is always good enough to come to Him….and I am in Christ….all that changed.

Now, when I mess up, even doing those things I’m really embarrassed about or ashamed of, I RUN TO GOD. Through faith, I am in Jesus and He is always good enough. I know that without His on-going help, I will consistently sin and do dumb things.

But because I have received God’s amazing gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus, God can do what He always wanted to do. He can welcome me with a smile and share with me His amazing love, peace, and joy.

If God the Father got up and ran to the prodigal son coming home covered in pig-slime, with the accompanying smells, and gave Him a huge hug, kissed him, wept tears of joy over him, threw a huge party for him and put him back in his place of authority (Luke 15)….how much will He celebrate and welcome those who WANT to know Him and follow Him? (That means you)

Learning to Interact with God

In some ways it’s so easy to talk with God. Just direct your mind and words to the One who is always with you. It’s easy.

On the other hand, it takes practice and a new way of interacting with someone you cannot physically see or touch or hear. This is one of the biggest reasons sincere believers don’t experience the joy of God.

Let me encourage you…you can learn this. You were designed by God to live in fellowship with Him.

Here are some simple steps that continue to help me.

Simply acknowledge that He is with you. Something like, “Thank you, Jesus, that you are with me right now.” Picture yourself walking in the door to the most loving, joyful, beautiful, healing, wonderful place and Person you can imagine. Picture God smiling at you with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen. Read some of God’s words in the Bible, especially verses about His love, holiness, goodness, joy, etc. Thank Him that those words are true. Receive them in your soul.

That’s a great way to start!

If you want more FREE resources on living a Jesus-Centered, Jesus-Empowered Life check out www.TruVineMission.com

If you want help in clarifying and then achieving your God-given purposes take a look at www.MarkFurlongCoaching.com