March 2nd
Joy and Strength Go Hand in Hand
There is a strange mix of joy, sorrow, weakness and strength. So many can testify to the words originally uttered by Mr. Nehemiah. They are,
"The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10
Now this individual in the Bible has a task of rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem. It is not as easy as it could be. Why? Because in his task he encounters failing support, discouragement, opposition, and you name it. Now, most would just say, "What's the use?" I will do something else. But not Nehemiah. He worked for weeks having his crew work on 2 shifts. One would sleep while the other worked.
After all is said and the project done there is a victory celebration. It is then that the words are uttered..."The joy of the Lord is my strength." He found that it was joy that sustained him through the ordeal. It is joy that can sustain you also, my friend.
Joy is, well, hard to explain - hard to put into words. If one has a headache or a pain somewhere, relief can most of the time be gained through over the counter medication. If one has lost of strength in a particular area then to the cross one can go for that joy.
Is this hard to understand, or is it hard to understand?? Yep. It was for the joy set before Christ that he endured the cross. He gained strength for the ordeal. In like manner we must appropriate a type joy that will get us strength. Don't live with joyless-pain, take something for it. What? Joy in the Lord.
So regardless of opposition, "bad" situations, lost of a love one, problem at work, situation at school, please be sustained by a joy-relationship with Jesus. In Him you WILL find your strength.
Prayer
Lord, if joy has been lost through a situation, may this one not remain or continue in such a state, but find strength in joy. Impart to this one that it is NOT, like "ha.ha." but a real, real peace that is deep and that provides strength.Amen.