The joy of the Lord is our strength
LW BAPTIST
By Rolland Coburn
Pastor
Recently a friend gave us a lovely, homemade, decorative candle for our living room. On it is a Bible promise, “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” (Nehemiah 8:10).
What an amazing word. It reveals the source of our strength. We cannot afford to lose our joy, or God forbid, give it away. Jesus said no one can take your joy from you, the joy he gives us who believe in him, (John 16:22).
The time of the year in Nehemiah was the end of September, the Jewish New Year. He was telling the people, “Let God’s Word move your heart to joy.” Why? John the Apostle put it very simply, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake,” 1 John 2:10.
The word “joy” is in the Bible nearly 200 times, but Nehemiah’s word is used only twice, here and in 1 Chronicles 16:27, “Splendor and majesty are before him, strength and joy are in his place.” Real joy is found only with the Lord. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. That is why we are told “Seek the Lord and his strength continually,” (1 Chronicles 27:11).
A church songwriter wrote, “If you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy, let Jesus come into your heart.”
Our joy in the Lord is what will sustain us in every circumstance. Deuteronomy 12:7 says, “Rejoice in all your undertakings because the Lord your God has blessed you.”
Our joy in the Lord is our stronghold or fortress. That is the meaning of the word strength. So we have nothing to fear, because in trouble or distress the Lord himself is our refuge.
The day Christ rose from the dead he appeared to the women who were running from the empty tomb feeling a mix of fear and great joy. Our Lord said just one word to them, “Rejoice.” It is the word Philippides, the marathon runner, announced when he entered Athens gasping with the news of victory: “Rejoice, we win!”
Yes, my friends, that is your joy in the Lord—victory, we win, because we are overcomers through our faith. The joy of the Lord is your strength!
