JOY Part 2

For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

In this passage in Nehemiah 8, it is very clear that the Lord is telling His people to not be depressed or sad but be glad because joy is strength.  Everyone, even those that don't know the Bible, have heard a merry heart does good like a medicine.  Joy is so powerful!  Yet, joy is not always easy to come by.

We are told that joy is in the fruit of the Spirit - meaning it is a result of the Holy Spirit's working in our lives.  We understand that joy must be part of our lives even when circumstances are not joyous.  We understand this, but it is not always easy to do.  We can put on a "good face" and act all full of joy, but our hearts are breaking, and we'd rather cry from sorrow than joy.

I truly believe that we should not walk around like a bunch of sour pusses.  As living, active, and passionate believers and lovers of Jesus, our lives should be marked with joy.  Yet, I truly understand that there are seasons that sorrow and mourning seem to trump the joy.  A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Without taking away from the scripture and what it clearly states to us about joy being our strength, I have sensed that the Lord has also shed different light on this scripture for me.  The joy of the Lord...the joy that the Lord has in us; the joy the Lord has when we are being faithful to Him and His purposes and plans for our lives even when things are tough.  It's His joy.  We are strong when He has joy for us!  Therefore, if we are following after Him with everything we have and everything we are, He has joy and we are strong.  So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful, in divine strength).

When I look at the life of Jeremiah the prophet, he endured much pain, much hardship, and much distress.  I wouldn't necessarily say his life was marked with joy.  The words the Lord gave him to tell Judah were extremely difficult and harsh, bringing much persecution upon Jeremiah.  He actually was so mad at the Lord at one point in time that he told Him that he was done with Him, he wasn't going to speak His words anymore.  Yet, Jeremiah was indeed very strong in the Lord.  Jeremiah persevered through the hardships, disappointments, and denials, and he found strength in the joy the Lord had for him.  Jeremiah learned to find his joy in the Lord.  He found His joy in doing the Lord's will no matter the cost to him.

I'll continue with JOY tomorrow.  Be Blessed!

Scriptures for reference and study: Nehemiah 8:10; Proverbs 17:22; Ecclesiastes 3:4; 2 Corinthians 12:10; Jeremiah 8:18-22; Jeremiah 12:1-6; Jeremiah 15:10-11, 15-16:2; Jeremiah 20:7-18 (There are many references I could include from Jeremiah, but then I'd be referencing the entire book.  Also, remember that Jeremiah is not written in chronological order (even within some chapters).)