I read a lovely verse today, Ezra’s words to the Israelites as they faced their need to be very courageous in uncertain times. He said, ‘The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Nehemiah 8:10)’
I find it wonderful that it is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength. We might have thought it would say ‘Your dogged determination,’ ‘Your endurance,’ ‘Your faith,’ but no, it is joy and that isn’t even a joy we have to work up in our own hearts; it’s the Lord’s joy and He gives it to us as an act of love. How amazing and life giving, that as we nurture the Lord’s gift of joy, we will be strengthened in every part of our lives.
To live in that joy, it’s important we take time to become aware of the ways God is blessing us and coming alongside to help us. A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful concert to celebrate mine and Marilyn’s 40 years of ministering together. Prior to that there were so many difficult things going on: illness issues in our loved ones, concern about Marilyn’s guide dog Arlo who started having seizures, techy problems and a very long to do list! Both Marilyn and I were beginning to feel really stressed. On the day of the concert we prayed together with our friends who were staying with us that there would be such a sense of His presence and His joy for all who came. Problems continued right up to the time with me dropping my phone, which is my only means of communication (I am severely deaf), Marilyn leaving her braille machine at home and lots of little things. But as people began to arrive we were filled with a tangible sense of God’s presence and joy. Marilyn’s voice was infused with supernatural strength and every part of the event flowed with His love. It was a beautiful time, and we were so full of thankfulness at how He had turned around the difficulties and released His joy in all our hearts.
God is good all the time and He delights in bringing us joy every day.
Have you experienced it today? Remember it's not just a frothy feeling but an awareness of God’s ever-present help and love and as we treasure this, the resulting joy becomes the source of our inner strength.
Look out for His blessings and take time to cherish His gifts of love today and you may be surprised how much stronger and full of courage you feel.
As Marilyn sang in that celebration concert:
‘And He’s singing to you
‘You’re the joy of my heart’
And we’re singing to Him
You’re the joy of my heart.’ (Joy of my heart © Marilyn Baker)
Open your heart to believe that you too are the joy of His heart. He delights in you and is always just a prayer away. He feels your struggles and weeps with your tears but always wants to bring you joy and empower you to worship and trust Him even in the biggest storms. As you realise how much He loves you, you will grow in your inner ability to face all the challenges that come, becoming strong and resilient just like David or Paul did in the Bible.
