“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” A pithy and powerful truth.
The joy of the Lord is the gladness of Almighty God gifted by His Holy Spirit to a human soul. It’s an inner rejoicing together with God that’s available only to true believer. Divine joy is a source of inner strength and helps a believer to endure the trials of life. God’s joy yields God’s strength.
This joy comes through self-surrender and contentedness in God’s will. By keeping a close relationship with him through forgiveness and obedience. By abiding with him in prayer and in His Word. “In His presence is fullness of joy.”
Nehemiah declared the statement above to God’s people at a moment of national despair. They had just finished restoring the protective wall around Jerusalem. At their request, they stood long hours to hear Ezra read the law of God to them and helped them understand. Hearing God’s law, the people understood the holy, righteous, just and faithful nature of their God. And they understood their own sinful failure before him and unfaithfulness to him.
Understanding their great personal guilt, they wept in sorrow at the keen awareness of their sin. But Nehemiah understood that, «Godly sorrow leads to repentance.” God was working in them. And true repentance would lead to changed lives. That called for a celebration! “For this day is holy unto our Lord; don’t be sorry. For the joy of the Lord in your strength.”
Is God working in you? Then it’s a time to rejoice.
---Beverly Nickles
Comments