God’s Joy

“… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10. Who doesn’t love this verse?

As Christians, our joy does not come from temporal or superficial things: it doesn’t come from having things, receiving gifts or belonging to certain groups. We all know one or two or even more persons who have all things but are unhappy, depressed, even suicidal. Our joy rests on God’s joy, and His joy is the source of our strength.
Yep, God is joyful.

I know you probably imagine God as an aloof principal wearing a deep frown, wielding a cane or a book of principles waiting to punish you for any little infraction. Nope, He is joyful. Yes, He frowns on sin, but that is not the only emotion God is capable of.

Sadness can drain you; depression weakens you, and these make you unproductive. If you ever find yourself going through any of these emotions, you will notice that you lack the motivation or strength to get anything done.

But when you wake up in the morning feeling happy, pumped, joyful; you feel like you can take on the world!! Joy gives you strength and true joy that gives strength comes from God. Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11.

Fullness of joy results from having the joy of the Lord in you. Joy from any other source is ephemeral for if your joy comes from your possessions, position, wealth, children and such, then you are setting yourself up for trouble. Why? Because you can lose any within the twinkle of an eye.

God’s joy gives us strength.

We find strength in God’s joy: strength to navigate this life. Strength for difficult times, for marriage, for raising our kids, for making a difference, for success, among others. God’s joy is everlasting and not dependent on circumstance or station in life. As long as His joy remains, your strength is assured. Today tap into the joy of the Lord.

Blessings, Lady Monica.