John 15: 9 &11, ” As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Let’s admit it…there hasn’t been a lot to be joyful about the last nine months. But it shouldn’t stop us from finding our source of happiness, well-being, and delight in the Lord. Jesus tells us that His joy is in us…fulfilled at the cross. And we should take this blessedness and share it with others…or as Mother Teresa once said, “Joy is a net by which you can catch souls.”
Tag: the joy of the Lord is your strength
Isaiah 40:1 ” Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.”
Right now in these uncertain and troubling times, we are all looking for comfort. Looking for encouragement, hope, and reassurance to displace the fear and apprehension we’re feeling and witnessing around us. Chapter 40 of Isaiah starts out with this verse, telling us that God is there to give us strength and hope…that His word stands forever (verse 8) and ends with these powerful words, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” (verses 29-30) Our comfort will be found in God and God alone…for in Him we will find hope and strength for another day.
I Samuel 2:10 ” It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be shattered.”
Where does your source of strength come from today? For many, it comes from themselves. They’ll proudly flex their biceps and proclaim how strong they are. But in reality, they’re not a match to cancer invading their body, or a stroke robbing them of their mobility. We arrogantly think we’re strong enough to withstand anything…yet we’re not powerful enough to stop our own death. As Zechariah 4:6 tells us, “It’s not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord.” Our source of strength must come from the Lord and not from ourselves…for in the end our strength is nothing but a vapor before God.
Exodus 15:2 ” The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
Something happens to us as we learn to trust the Lord. Our reliance on our-self diminishes as our dependence on Him increases. Our old self, with all its baggage, slowly falls away as we learn to trust and have confidence in Him and His plan for our life. And as we’re changed from the inside out, true joy, happiness, and hope fill us to overflowing…and we too can then join in this song of praise from Moses and Miriam.
Psalm 30:10-12 ” Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help. You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”
The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) And during those dark times in our lives when our spirit is broken, it’s that joy we need to hold tightly to. For it’s the blessedness and gratitude of joy that can change our attitude and view of things. The situation we’re in may not change…but the joy of the Lord will strengthen us to press on.
Safetypinlove 