Matthew 13:44 The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and faith always functions hand in hand with the Holy Spirit’s fruit. But if you want to learn to be strong in faith, allow joy to rise up within you.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, The joy of the Lord is your strength. Psalm 16:11 says, In His presence, there is fullness of joy…
Joy doesn’t come through your works, but through the work (fruit) of the Holy Spirit in your life.
You will not get this Joy through self-help. Self-Help may produce a form of happiness, but it’s not the Joy that the Bible speaks about.
You will not get this Joy through religion. Religion is being conformed to a set of rules. But the Spirit of Joy comes by being transformed through the Holy Spirit.
You get this Joy through a relationship with Christ and His Spirit.
True joy is not defined by your “status in life” – true joy is defined by your “status in Christ.” (Steven Furtick)
Our scripture today says, like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it… and then in his joy he sold all he had and bought that field...
This text reveals three kingdom truths about Joy:
1. Joy sees what is valuable
Joy enables you to see what is truly of value in your life – family; spouse; children; church – these are the priceless things in life. When you focus on things that are of true value, rather than pursuing things the world thinks are valuable, that’s when you see real joy.
2. Joy sees where to invest
The man sells everything so he can invest all he has into this priceless treasure. Jesus is the priceless treasure and when you invest your life in Him, He not only gives you eternal life but abundant life now. This Joy of the Lord will cause you to invest your life and things of value into eternal places. Joy comes from our eternal God and that’s where we need to invest our time, talents and treasures.
3. Joy sees the Kingdom of Heaven
The treasure was bigger and greater than the life of this man. And what God wants to do is give you a vision for your life that is bigger than just your own life. The Kingdom of Heaven will cause you to look beyond just your own life and to the world that surrounds you. Our purpose on earth is to spread the good news of Jesus to those we influence.
Let me encourage you to allow God’s Kingdom Joy to rise within you, opening your eyes to what is truly invaluable. It will show you how and where to invest your life and to bring the Kingdom of Heaven into the world around you.