The joy of the Lord is my strength

“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

 

Maybe you remember the movie, Inside Out. It’s a Pixar animated film about a young girl and her emotions. In the film, Joy is the primary emotion character and she leads the show. It’s her job to direct the emotions of the main character. It’s a great film and the sequel was really cute, too.

 

But what is “joy”? Maybe you use it to describe being happy. Or maybe blessed. #blessedlife! Or fulfilled. Or maybe we think of the feeling of joy as we think of good things, like family, or hobbies. While we could go into a deep dive on this word, we just don’t have the room here in this article.

 

But what is joy? How do we define it? And how do we experience joy in our everyday life? In this article, I just simply want to ask some probing questions and offer some insights from God’s Word. Because I believe joy is missing from our lives.

 

So here is our first probing question:

 

Is joy something we experience only when life is good?

 

For many of us, we may think, “yes”. Maybe we think of joy as something that gives us strength when life is hard. But joy is more than simply an emotion; it’s a way of living. Joy has to be a state of being. It is who we are, not simply an experience or an event.

 

With that said, sometimes joy comes easily. Let me tell you about the most joyful experience I have had in a very long time. Over Labor Day weekend, our daughter, Lily got married. It was so easy to find joy. I got to officiate the ceremony. I got to dance with her. I got to celebrate her and her new husband, Eli. I’ll never forget it. There are moments when circumstances practically hand us joy.

 

But that leads to probing question number two: what if joy isn’t right in front of you? What do you do? Where do you find joy when it feels like it is intentionally playing hide-and-seek?

 

If we were to really look at Nehemiah’s story in the Bible, his people had plenty of reasons to be sad. Life was hard. People were actively against them and the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. But Nehemiah directs their attention away from their circumstances and towards, wait for it,..the Lord!

 

Now, go back up to the top and read the verse again. Nehemiah did not say, “the joy of your circumstances”, or “the joy of your health”, or even “joy of everything going right”. He said the joy of the Lord is your strength. Maybe you need that strength right now. I want that for you today.

 

“The joy of the LORD is your strength.” I’m not just saying, God is good when you feel good, or strong, or happy. I’m saying: God gives a joy that can carry you when you don’t feel good, or you’re weak, or life is heavy.

 

So, here’s probing question number three. Where are you actively seeking joy?

 

God's joy can give us strength when our circumstances don't. In fact, to be completely honest, while the wedding really did bring me joy, that joy didn’t last forever. The teardown came and we began throwing things away. I watched all the money we spent on decorations, food, favors, and more be literally thrown away. And that wasn’t joyful! How quickly my attitude changed when joy of based on my experience!

 

There may be things about your life today that you would change if you could. But what if I were to tell you there’s a more important truths in the mix. Here is the best news of the day: There are things that haven't changed. God hasn't changed.

 

His love hasn't changed. His faithfulness hasn't changed. Jesus hasn't changed. And the promise of eternal life hasn't changed.

 

Last weekend I saw my daughter experience one of her great joys. But eventually the flowers wilt, the pictures fade, and the wedding day becomes a memory. They went on their honeymoon and now they’re back to real life and work. I want to encourage them their joy doesn’t depend on good days: their joy is rooted in the Lord. I want them to remember that circumstances change, but God doesn't.

 

If you don’t remember anything else from this article, remember this: Joy isn't found in having a good day; joy is found in having a good God.

 

So, where are you going to look for joy today?