The joy of the Lord is your strength!
When I say this joy of the Lord, it is the joy that comes directly from heaven. Unspeakable joy! It is not something that humans can conjure up in this world, or no matter how many hours people spend in the entertainment outlets, singing their blues away, and trying to find joy and happiness in this world. No, I'm not teaching you about the worldly way. But I'm teaching you about the joy that comes directly from heaven, that you can receive and walk in it. Hallelujah!
Nehemiah 8:9-10 (NKJV) says, 'And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; Do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"'
Why is it so important to have this joy of the Lord? Because without this joy of the Lord, one will not have the strength to carry on in life. But when you have this joy of the Lord, you will also have the strength and vigor to carry on in life and to fulfill all that God has purposed for you to be (and to do). And that's what it means by 'the joy of the Lord is your strength'!
The word 'joy' here is 'khedvaw' in Hebrew. It comes from this word 'khawdaw', meaning 'to rejoice, to make glad, to be glad', and this is interesting, 'to be joined (in this context, to be joined with the Lord)'.
I don't have to elaborate on the words 'rejoice', 'make glad', or 'be glad'; but I want to pinpoint today on 'be joined with the Lord'. That's 'khawdaw'! When your spirit and soul are joined with the Lord, you will be filled with unspeakable joy. And this joy stays with you and dwells in you.
You see, He is the Lord who is the Source of true joy. You can receive this joy from heaven when you align with Him, when you do what He says, and be who He wants you to be in each time and season of your life. You know what? This joy money cannot buy. And this joy cannot be conjured up by any human being in this world. This joy comes from the Lord. And that's why it's so important for you to be joined with the Lord. Because as I've written just now, without this joy, it's not easy to have the strength to carry on in this life, especially in this world when everything is being shaken and is in turbulence.
Some people may say they can find joy and happiness the worldly way, in all kinds of places, at the entertainment outlets, trying to make friends, and singing their hearts out all night long. All these will not last. But the Lord is telling you what will last. It's by receiving and enjoining ourselves with Him in our spirit and our soul. It is from the inside out. Not from the outside in. It will then emanate from your spirit and soul, and flow out to others. People around you can sense and feel this joy that you have!
One way to keep this joy is not always be self-seeking, but to look out for others, and to share good things with others. Not just good food and good things, but how about spiritual food? Yes, that's the Word of God! So, whenever you have the opportunity, be a blessing to others, encourage others, pray for others, minister to others, and share the good news of Jesus Christ to others. Yes, it doesn't have to be done formally. It can be done anytime, anywhere, wherever you are. So, do something to surprise others. Do something to bring joy to others. Those who bring joy to others will themselves receive the joy. So, listen to the Holy Spirit what are the things that you can do, and how to do it? How can you be a blessing to others? How can the river of the Holy Spirit in you flow out through you? You see, there's something wonderful about letting the river of the Holy Spirit flow, not just only in you, but also through you to others.
Back to the book of Nehemiah now. In Nehemiah's time, the people of the Lord were told they should be rejoicing. You can read through the whole book of Nehemiah. They have overcome the opposition, i.e. from Sanballat, Tobiah, etc. They have overcome with the help of the Lord. Therefore, they have every reason to rejoice! So it is the same with you! Because Jesus who is in you is greater than he that is in this world! You have overcome, because Jesus in you have overcome! Therefore you have every reason to rejoice as well!
Another reason for the people in Nehemiah's time to rejoice was because the Lord has shown to them that He has been with them, He is still with them, and He will still be with them. This assurance that the Lord is with them is one reason for them to rejoice. So it is the same with you! In Christ, you know that the Lord is with you, and the Lord will not leave you nor forsake you. So, even for this one reason, you can rejoice too!
Beloved of God, you don't have to wait till you are in heaven to have this joy of the Lord. Heaven on earth! His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! One aspect of His kingdom is this joy that comes from heaven. You can walk in this joy while you are on earth. So, go ahead and celebrate today, rejoice and be glad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Hallelujah!
