And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.
Nehemiah 8:10
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.
John 15:11
I'll never forget as a new believer a super smiley congregant approaching me after a service asking...."Where's your Joy?" Did I leave it in the car? What did she mean? Actually,There should have been no surprise there. I am sure my countenance had the appearance of one being baptised and overly marinating in lemon juice. I possessed acidic remnants of being only recently rescued by God from the cynic clinic. Yet I loathed and still do at times the bumper sticker chicken soup lady christianity that we all can dishout complete with the guilt and condemnation chaser. Why do we do that? Sadly, We all sometimes offer a cultural 'christianity' rather than Christ. I love reading of King David and could live in the Psalms and the billboard sized declarations of who God declares Himself to be on our behalf. Our God who is for us and not against us. David. God's man after His own heart saw God and for me saw life with clarity..... and Thank God realistically. May we too have the confidence of David who could boldy and confidently approach the throne to express his heart to God moment by moment and in any season of life. May we all live and move and have our being in the Freedom to 'shoot from the hip' in perfect relationship, trusting in the goodness of God to receive us, commune with us, desire us, love us, hear us, see us, change us and not reject us in any state.
I have always understood this scripture in Nehemiah over the years as if it was MY JOY (originated and produced by me). Taking a closer look we read in Nehemiah that it was upon hearing afresh the word of God after much time of it's absence,that the children of Israel were deeply convicted of how far from God and His desire for them they were.They were more than overwhelmed. Then the priests came forth to comfort the people by saying....'do not be dejected or sad for the JOY OF THE LORD is your Strength.' ...and stronghold.
What is The Joy of the Lord really? It is a Joy that originates in God alone. I cannot make this joy. He created Joy. It is His JOY that becomes my Joy, my heart and expression. I am invited to share in His joy. It is not a worldly happy-feeling based on the temporal. This Joy God spoke of to His people in their time of repentance and revival was a wonderful Billboard sized declaration of His grace,provision and His character. It was HIS JOY to show mercy upon a people that could not earn it nor deserved it. It was HIS JOY to restore that which had been lost, forgotten and broken. It was HIS JOY to repair the walls.It was HIS JOY to divinely order the steps of Nehemiah and give him a really cool but boring job. It was HIS JOY to share His own burden for His people with him. It was HIS JOY to convey favor and resources through the King who did not know God. It was HIS JOY to speak His word to and over a people whom He loved. It was HIS JOY to gather His people again and reveal Himself and dwell among them. It was HIS JOY to separate once again a people for Himself. It was HIS JOY to take back what the enemies had destroyed and glorify His Name.
Where is MY joy to be found? It is to be rooted in a knowledge of HIS JOY; His Joy becomes my Joy.
Our God is a Joyful God rejoicing over us (Zephaniah 3:17). Let us today stand confident in His joy. He is at work in us to bring us into His fullness and likeness in the midst of any circumstance of life.
Nehemiah 8:10
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.
John 15:11
I'll never forget as a new believer a super smiley congregant approaching me after a service asking...."Where's your Joy?" Did I leave it in the car? What did she mean? Actually,There should have been no surprise there. I am sure my countenance had the appearance of one being baptised and overly marinating in lemon juice. I possessed acidic remnants of being only recently rescued by God from the cynic clinic. Yet I loathed and still do at times the bumper sticker chicken soup lady christianity that we all can dishout complete with the guilt and condemnation chaser. Why do we do that? Sadly, We all sometimes offer a cultural 'christianity' rather than Christ. I love reading of King David and could live in the Psalms and the billboard sized declarations of who God declares Himself to be on our behalf. Our God who is for us and not against us. David. God's man after His own heart saw God and for me saw life with clarity..... and Thank God realistically. May we too have the confidence of David who could boldy and confidently approach the throne to express his heart to God moment by moment and in any season of life. May we all live and move and have our being in the Freedom to 'shoot from the hip' in perfect relationship, trusting in the goodness of God to receive us, commune with us, desire us, love us, hear us, see us, change us and not reject us in any state.
I have always understood this scripture in Nehemiah over the years as if it was MY JOY (originated and produced by me). Taking a closer look we read in Nehemiah that it was upon hearing afresh the word of God after much time of it's absence,that the children of Israel were deeply convicted of how far from God and His desire for them they were.They were more than overwhelmed. Then the priests came forth to comfort the people by saying....'do not be dejected or sad for the JOY OF THE LORD is your Strength.' ...and stronghold.
What is The Joy of the Lord really? It is a Joy that originates in God alone. I cannot make this joy. He created Joy. It is His JOY that becomes my Joy, my heart and expression. I am invited to share in His joy. It is not a worldly happy-feeling based on the temporal. This Joy God spoke of to His people in their time of repentance and revival was a wonderful Billboard sized declaration of His grace,provision and His character. It was HIS JOY to show mercy upon a people that could not earn it nor deserved it. It was HIS JOY to restore that which had been lost, forgotten and broken. It was HIS JOY to repair the walls.It was HIS JOY to divinely order the steps of Nehemiah and give him a really cool but boring job. It was HIS JOY to share His own burden for His people with him. It was HIS JOY to convey favor and resources through the King who did not know God. It was HIS JOY to speak His word to and over a people whom He loved. It was HIS JOY to gather His people again and reveal Himself and dwell among them. It was HIS JOY to separate once again a people for Himself. It was HIS JOY to take back what the enemies had destroyed and glorify His Name.
Where is MY joy to be found? It is to be rooted in a knowledge of HIS JOY; His Joy becomes my Joy.
Our God is a Joyful God rejoicing over us (Zephaniah 3:17). Let us today stand confident in His joy. He is at work in us to bring us into His fullness and likeness in the midst of any circumstance of life.
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