Complete Joy

JHN 16:24 NIV

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

A verse of absolute assurance; a promise backed up by the greatest force in the world: the words of the Word himself. He is the one speaking here and his promises, as you know, will always come to pass.

Before now, we were fond of talking, grumbling, complaining and cranking up about our problems, issues and difficulties. We would analyse the issues and try and proffer solutions on our own. We could determine where the problem was and find a good idea how to solve the problem. We would do all that was humanly possible except the right thing: tell God about it. Our asking means our total dependence on him and not ourselves; our asking means that we admit that we can't help ourselves and we know that it is only in him that our lives can find fulfilment. If I'm looking for complete joy, I must cultivate the habit of giving God everything.

He doesn't promise a trial-free existence. What He guarantees is that irrespective of the external circumstances, our inner man has joy. Joy, not because we have everything we need now, but joy because we have Him who is all we need and who will give us all we ask.

Do you need joy? Do you have Him? He is Joy, He is all you need. His time of favour is here.