“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.” Corrie Ten Boom
Nehemiah 8:9-12 Names of God Bible
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people told them, “This is a holy day for Yahweh your Elohim. Don’t mourn or cry.” All the people were crying as they listened to the reading of God’s Teachings. 10 Then he told them, “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today is a holy day for Adonay. Don’t be sad because the joy you have in Yahweh is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people by saying, “Listen. Today is a holy day. Don’t be sad.”
12 Then all the people went to eat and drink and to send portions. They had a big, joyful celebration because they understood the words that had been explained to them.
The Word of Yahweh for the Children of Yahweh. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
What is the Joy of the Lord? – Nehemiah 8:10
We’ve all heard the Bible quote… the joy of the Lord is my strength.
But what is the joy of the Lord? And how can we find it?
Joy is something we all want in our lives. But in our modern world, it seems like an unattainable goal.
We’re pushed and pulled in so many different directions all at once. Survival becomes the norm, and joy is left for another day.
So, in this devotional, we’ll give Yahweh an opportunity to answer some of your questions about the joy of the Lord, so we may learn a bit more, how His Joy and not mankind’s, is your strength, and discover the key to finding it every day.
The Joy of the Lord is My Strength
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
In this scripture from Nehemiah 8, we learn the secret to finding genuine joy.
The people of Nehemiah’s day were convicted of their sin, and they wept hard, bitterly because of it. They understood they could never live up to the standard of God’s law and they would never deserve God’s redemption.
Ezra read to them for the first time, the Word of Yahweh! Nehemiah reminded them, Cry? Yes! Now is not a time for sorrow, instead, it’s a time to celebrate.
In their sin and shame, they forgot all God had done for them. And they needed to be reminded… By the Word of Yahweh, the joy of the Lord is your strength!
We are no different. In our lives, the meaning of this verse can easily elude us when times are tough. We are negligent in our studying of Yahweh’s Truths.
In ignorance, we forget it’s not what we do that brings us joy. Instead, it is what has been done for us that allows us to say… the joy of the Lord is our strength!
Where does the Joy of the Lord come from?
Joy comes from the Lord and having an eternal connection with Him.
Hope comes from the Lord and having an eternal connection with Him.
Faith comes from the Lord and having an eternal connection with Him.
Love comes from the Lord and having an eternal connection with Him.
Try to think of this eternal connection with Him in this way…
There are some people we meet and click with immediately. It feels like we’ve known them for years.
Then, there are people we have known for years and share a past with.
We have a meaningful connection with them. And we feel joyful being with them.
The thought of being separated from the people we’re connected to brings us sadness, pain. And the idea of not having them in our lives is unimaginable.
I can easily contemplate this is how God feels about His connection with us.
He sees us as the individual person, as the vast gathering of people He has a connection with. He desires to have a lasting and loving relationship with us.
But in the beginning, sin crawled in. Sin separated us from God and kept us from having genuine meaningful relationship with Him we were created for.
So, God sent His Son, Jesus, to fill that gap for us.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
Jesus is the eternal remedy to sin! In this darkened existence of our world, we genuinely need to be connected to God and to experience the joy of the Lord.
What is the Joy of the Lord?
Looking unto, Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2
This scripture from Hebrews 12 is clear… When Jesus died for our sins, He was focused on “the joy that was set before Him”.
And guess what… we are that joy.
We are the Great Cloud of Witnesses!
We are the joy of the Lord!
Our salvation is the reason Jesus died and rose again. And the timeless witness, our timeless testimony of our salvation is what He was thinking of on the cross.
Jesus willingly faced a sinner’s death because of His joy in us.
He came to fill the gap left by sin and to die in our place. He did it so our connection, our relationship with God could be restored permanently.
Now, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, sin no longer separates us from God, and we can experience the joy of connecting with Him, walking with Him every day.
Once we, through bible study, learn of this simple truth, our relationship with Jesus will flourish. And we will no longer have to face the hardships of life alone.
How to Have the Joy of the Lord
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16:11 NIV
If you and I are still asking… How do we receive the joy of the Lord?
The eternal answer is genuinely simple.
If you believe in Jesus and have accepted Him as your Savior, then the joy of the Lord is already within you. The Joy of the Lord is already inside, strengthening!
You and I have Joy
You and I have Salvation!
You and I have Strength!
You and I have Faith!
You and I have Hope!
You and I have Love!
You and I have Yahweh, The Lord our God!
What this much cherished verse from Psalm 16 calls “the path of life”.
And once you and I are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you and me.
It is this continuous presence of God that fills us with overflowing joy.
God is Your Strength
The word strength in Nehemiah 8:10 paints a picture of God’s protection over us.
When we’re weak, we can seek refuge in God’s loving arms. Because He is our place of safety.
And we can draw strength from our relationship with God and find joy in Him through any circumstance.
Here are two Psalms that illustrate the Lord is your strength vividly…
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NKJV
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:2 ESV
Hard times will still absolutely come our way. But we have a secret place to run to when they do.
Yahweh alone is our strong tower and fortress in times of trouble.
He alone is our protection from the world. And Yahweh alone is the only place where we can find eternal joy and strength when we need them both the most.
Whatever you and I are facing, Yahweh alone will see you and me through it.
We must pray! to place our trust in Yahweh the Lord, He will be our strength!
Living in the Joy of the Lord
By now you may be wondering… how do I have the joy of the Lord every day?
Let’s look at one more Bible verse which teaches us about living in the Joy of the Lord.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
Chaos and busyness take over our lives sometimes.
With so many things to do each day, it’s no wonder the joy we once had from knowing Yahweh intimately is replaced with stress and overwhelm.
But joy, real joy, comes directly from Yahweh. It’s an inner feeling of calm that is always there no matter what is happening on the outside.
This kind of joy doesn’t depend on us or our feelings to be present in our daily lives. It is the power of the Holy Spirit inside each and every one of us which is what, by whom, makes it possible to live with the joy of the Lord every day.
We may not always see or experience this joy, or this indescribable strength we draw from it, but it is yet very much still there deep within us because the Holy Spirit lives there.
John 14:16-17 Amplified Bible
Role of the Spirit
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.
I hope and fervently pray you and I will come to know how much Yahweh loves you, how much He wants to give us the joy and strength we are looking for.
Romans 15:4-6 Amplified Bible
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises. 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify and praise and honor the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, from Apostle Paul’s letter, Romans 15:13, this is my prayer for you today.
May God fill you with all joy and peace in believing. And by the power of the Holy Spirit cause you to abound in hope and in the joy of the Lord! Amen!
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 