We tend to think of joy as a passive result of pleasurable things; something that just happens in us and to us when circumstances are pleasant, which means that joy comes and goes as circumstances change.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” My strength. If this is the case, how can joy be just a feeling? That would be like saying, “the joy of the Lord is my Red Bull” or “the joy of the Lord is my coffee”–it gives me a shot of strength and then wears off.
But that’s not what strength is. Strength, through joy in the Lord, is our spiritual power to persevere, to lift our heads, to walk by faith no matter our circumstances. It is not a high or a shot or a boost. It is the state of a soul that rests fully in the good news of a real, ruling, rescuing Jesus.
That’s what the “joy of the Lord” means–clinging to what He says and living like it is true. It gives us peace and solid footing and, yes, strength. Joy is something we can attain and have at all times, no matter the circumstances, because God is always God and the good news of Jesus is always good. Circumstances change. Our hearts are fickle. But the joy of the Lord is our strength because He is unchanging, unfailing, and always inviting us into it.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe!
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash
