The Joy of the Lord is My Strength
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
The joy of the Lord is my strength, but can we have joy in difficult times? And how does joy change us so that we have the Lord’s strength? If the Word tells us we experience joy in the Lord, then we must be able to experience joy in any situation in life.
So where does our joy come from such that it never disappears from us? Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4) This verse tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, meaning there is no time that we shouldn’t rejoice. Our joy is in the Lord, meaning we are not always feeling joy based on what is happening to us in this world.
If our joy comes from the Lord, then it is based on his love, forgiveness, and eternal life. He fills us with his Spirit, walks with us through life, and has an eternal home for us in heaven. If we are eternally minded, realizing our flesh is just a suit we wear on earth, and knowing we never die, then we can have joy. After our last breath our conscience remains with our soul, and at the rapture we get a new, younger, eternal body just as Jesus did when he was resurrected. So no matter what happens in this life we can have joy because this life is only temporary and our heavenly home is eternal.
So how does joy in the Lord give us strength? Satan wants us to self focus on our fears. The Lord wants us to focus on him and others, being a light in this world as he enables us to overcome everything in life. Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4). Nothing pleases God more than for us to trust him and overcome the world.
We trust the Lord and continue to serve him to our last breath and we fear nothing because we walk in his strength. Through our joy in the Lord we praise his name, which builds our faith, courage, and strength. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31). This is a promise of the Lord, that we put our hope in him, we walk fearlessly in victory, even through physical death -the ultimate victory!
Today, take joy in the Lord and walk in his strength and refuse to let Satan drag you down in fear. Walk in victory and reflect your joy to others, showing them that you walk with the Lord while knowing heaven is your home. Fear from Satan has no place in your life because victory in Christ fills your life with joy.
Let’s Pray: Lord, thank you for the blessings of eternal life, guiding me in the Spirit, and protecting me from the evil one. Help me to focus on you and others as you guide me to point lost souls to Christ. Fill my heart with your joy as I live to serve you. In Jesus’ name, Amen