Peter and the other Apostles were preaching at the temple when they were arrested by the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They tried to put them in prison, but an angel let them out during the night. Early the next morning, the Apostles were again teaching at the temple. So they arrested them a second time, beat them, and told them not to talk about Jesus anymore.

When they let the Apostles go, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ and continued teaching (Acts 5:41). Later when Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned, they prayed and sang hymns to the Lord while the other prisoners listened to them (Acts 16:25).

There is a joy the Apostles had that surpasses all understanding, and no matter what you face on Earth, it can't be taken from you. However, it does have a requirement. Jesus taught that we could have this joy if we kept His commandments. Then in the next verse, He said, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). If we don't have love, we are nothing but noise like a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). People don't care what you know until they know how much you care.

If we truly love one another in action, we will be filled with His joy. It makes sense that we can't be filled with joy and anger, bitterness, jealousy, and happiness all at the same time. We are commanded to love each other. The only choice we have is whether we will actually do it. We can easily choose to show no love and have no joy.

It is usually easy to love the Lord. After all, He is perfect, and God is love (1 John 4:16). The times we've had a disagreement always ended up with me having an attitude adjustment and seeing things through His eyes. Never once did He, for He was always right. Other people, though, ouch. He really made us work for that joy when He said to love your neighbor as yourself. That's not easy. Still, to have His joy, you must love that neighbor.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for the life that You have given me. Please give me the grace to love those around me and to keep a positive attitude. Overflow my heart with Your Joy today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is "Feel Good Friday" at the FAAD (Fight Against Anxiety & Depression) group! On this day, we uplift each other with posts of encouragement and joy! All are welcome to join and participate! As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.