Sorrow Makes Way for this Joy

Notice John 16:21,22:

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow; because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world."

This is an interesting thought so far as physical life is concerned, for it illustrates the new birth process as regards the death of the old man and the birth of the new man.  Verse 22 continues:

"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

Here we are told of a joy that cannot be taken away.  What brings this joy?  Abiding in the Vine; abiding is the only thing that maintains this joy.  "In the world," Jesus said, "ye shall have tribulation". John 16:33.  This is not surprising, since we immediately find ourselves back in the world if we are cut off from the Vine.  This doesn't mean that abiding in the Vine will somehow cause us to escape the physical world, but it does mean that we can be in the world but not of the world, as we maintain the abiding relationship.  Let me restate that:  Though we must live in the world, it doesn't mean that we live the way the world lives.  Being born again changes how we live in the world, and modifies the kind of joy we experience; and the joy that brims up in our hearts as a result, can't be taken away under any circumstance.  The question might be asked, "Why do we so often lose our joy?"  Is it because someone has taken it away?  We like to blame other people when we become unhappy, but is it their fault?  Have you ever blamed your spouse for something?  Notice what Jesus said in John 16:22-24:

"And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you.  And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Would you like to have His joy?  I am pretty sure that everyone would like this kind of joy, don't you?
We can lose our joy just by separating from the Vine or from Jesus side.  What a tragedy that is, but you and I both know that Jesus is a forgiving Savior and we don't have to slip away for a long time.  We can confess our slip and repent with our whole heart and we are right back filled with His joy again.  This is what I am learning day by day as I go over these studies.  Grandma Joan