“That your joy may be full.” (1:4)
Having written of having fellowship with the Father and the Son, John then says that one of the most wonderful results of this is joy. This is not a passing joy which we may have seeing a film, watching a sport, listening to music, or looking at a beautiful view. These, though pleasant, are only temporary. The joy that John speaks of is fullness of joy, a joy with no comparison. When Jesus spoke about being in union with Him, He said those things that His joy should remain in us and that it should be full (John 15:11). Christian work and meetings can sometimes become routine and lose their ‘sparkle.’ If this has become so, we need to return to Christ and renew our fellowship with Him. It is only as we are with and in Him, and He in us, that true joy flows in our beings. To really know His Presence is inexpressible and leads to a joy that is way beyond the furthest reaches of our imaginations. Do we really know Him like this? Have we seen, heard and handled His life in our experiences and gatherings together? If so, then to be with Him like that is the greatest of all joys and it is a joy that cannot be taken from us.
PRAYER :- “Lord, I do not seek joy as an end in itself, but I thank you that when I truly know you, then that brings a joy that I cannot describe.”