Acts 13:52 – “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

The last verse in Acts 13 is my primary focus for this devotional. The word “continually” captures my thoughts.  The word “continually” means that it is unceasing.  It speaks of a state of mind and condition.

The order of words is interesting.  Joy is listed first.  They were continually filled with Joy.  Joy is an emotion that contains the expectation and anticipation of gaining possession or experiencing something.   It is a condition completely void of despair, doubt, fear, or hopelessness.   It is infectious and becomes a doorway for entrance into God’s presence.

We are to enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  The Joy of the LORD is our strength.  Whose Joy?  The Joy of the Lord is ours because we are one with Him.  He is in us, and we are in Him!  Being full of JOY continually, their hearts and heads were prime receptors for the continual flow of the Holy Spirit.

In today’s world, many have occasional moments of Joy but not continual Joy.   Many have occasional infilling of the Holy Spirit but are not continually filled. We marvel and almost fictionalize the New Testament Book of Acts Church with zero expectation that we, too, can have that presence, power, and result.  We can “IF” … The “if” is the clincher.   If we become as they were, we will see what they saw.

Their focus was continually on God.  They continually meditated on God’s word.  They were in a continual mindset of prayer.   They were 100% committed to Him and His purposes. They knew persecution, difficulty, and tests would come but were continually filled with Joy and the Holy Spirit.

Part-time Christianity held no appeal for them.  They had jobs, duties, families, and obligations, but God was their First and Primary focus.  The result – They lived in a state of overflowing Joy and the overflowing presence of the Holy Spirit.  They feared nothing, expected God to fulfill His Word, and knew they were more than conquerors through and in Jesus.

The Key is the word “continually.”  There were Continually… 

• They continually sought God. 
• They continually rejoiced. 
• They continually received.  
• They continually expected to hear from and see God move daily. 

Too often, we are okay with part-time Christianity, occasional Joy, and infrequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  When we decide it is “All In,” we will have what they had and see the harvest of God.  Life is not about us. It is about Him and the Kingdom.

Let me offer this challenge:  Decide today that you are “ALL IN,” then watch the flow of Joy and the Holy Spirit completely change your world.

May the peace, power, and presence of the LORD be with you this day and guide you into the fullness He desires for you today!