Nehemiah 8:10 promises us that the joy of the lord will be our strength. That sounds amazing doesn’t it?! But what does that look like practically? How do you access the joy of the Lord? To answer these questions we have to look to the Word of God. After all, it is a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105).
Nehemiah 8:10 – Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Accessing Joy
When I first began hearing this verse as a new Christian I didn’t have a very deep revelation of it. It sound nice and I needed strength, but I was missing a HUGE key in access this heavenly strength. I didn’t realize that the joy I was trying to access was the joy of the Lord and not my own attempts at joy. #micdrop
It wasn’t until I heard a sermon illustration about this verse that I realized that the joy I was looking for was the Lord’s joy, not mine. There’s a BIG difference between the two. My joy is circumstantial, His joy is eternal. Joy is something I have to work up in my own strength…ironically, taking more of my energy and effort…but joy is something He is.
The speaker talked about an acorn trying it’s best to grow into a big oak tree. He mimicked the acorn squirming and pushing trying to get itself to grow. It was rather comical. But all an acorn needs to do is rest in the soil and let the Creator water and nourish it. Literally, the acorn simply needs to receive. I
t’s the same with the joy of the Lord. We just simply need to receive it!
Reflect
- Are you able to receive the joy of the Lord? Why or why not?
- Do you trust the Lord to provide you with His joy? Why or why not?
- What can you do to start receiving more of the joy of the Lord?
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