How to have a mighty river of joy when you don’t feel a trickle

“He that believes on Me…out of His heart will flow RIVERS of living water.  Now this He said about the Spirit…” (Jn. 7: 37)

I recently heard a story of a Christian leader working on the drain in the dam at the end of his lake.

Suddenly, an inward voice said, “Get out of the way.”  He climbed up a nearby hill, and the whole dam exploded in seconds!

Water ran down his road in rivers, destroying driveways and yards.  

When Moses struck the rock to provide water for Israel in the desert, it was not a drip or a trickle.  It was an explosion of water that turned into RIVERS to bring water to 3 million people and all their livestock.

That is like the Holy Spirit inside of us!  You can release His joy into any situation you are facing.

Here is how to have joy like a river when you don’t even feel a trickle:

1. Make your feelings the servant of your faith.

You feel dry.  You feel hopeless.  You feel anxious.  All of these feelings come from your flesh, your mind.  Feelings control most people.

Jesus said, “Out of your innermost being…” the river of the Spirit would flow.  That’s your spirit (not your feelings).

Your spirit is where the Holy Spirit lives.

Even when you feel NOTHING, He is still there.

Open your mouth and start to “rejoice,” even when your feelings scream, “That is fake, not real.”

2.  Start your day with praise, not anxiety.

I used to wake up in the morning and immediately think of how to solve my problems.  I changed that.

I wake up and immediately repeat, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His love endures forever” (Ps. 118: 1).

Next, I put on the armor of God (see my recent blog on this part).

Finally, I pray in the Spirit for a minute or two.

In 5 minutes, I have opened the river of joy instead of defeat, depression, and discouragement!

3.  Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Joy is a perspective.

I went up in a hot air balloon on a scorching, miserable day in Albuquerque, N.M.  When we reached 1500 feet, it was calm, cool, and spectacular. 

I found myself laughing out loud!  It was exhilarating.  

In every situation, “MOVE UP HIGHER.”  This trial will come to pass.  God sits higher than all trials.  Take your seat beside Him.

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you perspective on your problems; you will laugh when you get it!

4.  Don’t hang around with sad, defeated people.

Depression is contagious.  It only sees the negative.  It never cracks a smile.  It blames others, looks backward, and voices impossibilies.

Find and cultivate friendships with people with the Holy Spirit, freedom, and His joy flowing out of them.

If you are going “up” in a building, why would you get on an elevator full of people going “down”?

Control your feelings.

Start every day with praise.

Get a higher perspective.

Find some Spirit-filled friends.

Let’s turn this “trickle” of joy into many “rivers” of joy bursting, flowing, cascading out of your inner being!