Joy that is Strengthening

Have you ever wondered how someone can always be positive and upbeat even in the midst of trials and adversities?  You know that person who regardless of what type of day he might be experiencing seems to always put on a smile and proclaim a sense of positivity.  Do you ever wonder if when they go home they just explode and have a great and mighty pity party?  How do they do it?  How do they stay exuberant in the midst of a really bad day?  How do they keep that positive outlook when everyday seems to be a Manic Monday? 

One thing that has been going over in my mind of recent is the old song we used to sing as a kid.  Do you remember the little chorus that said, “The joy of the Lord is my strength”?  Those were the entire words of the chorus.  It simply said the same phrase over and over again with different inflections.  While some could contend that there was not much depth to this song, the reality is that it has found that in no other source could joy be found aside from the Lord God Himself.  Now I am not contending that we should sing this chorus over and over but I am saying that maybe we need to recognize the simplicity of the message which the author was saying, our strength is found in the Lord alone.

Recently I read a devotional by David Jeremiah which he had written many years ago by the title of The Bible Friend.  In this short piece of inspiration Jeremiah was reminding us of this point.  He gives a summary of how many of those who had gone before us had sought to find joy in something other than the Lord.  For instance he said joy is: 

Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."(Turning Point, 1993)

David Jeremiah closed his devotional comments with this question.  Where then is real joy found? -- The answer is simple, in Christ alone.  This chorus and the words of David Jeremiah find their root in Nehemiah 8:10 where the prophet urges the people to “not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (NIV)  His emphasis is that the people were concluding the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement.  In that time Nehemiah along with the priests and Ezra had brought the Word of the Lord to the people but they were not rejoicing in God’s Word instead they were feeling despondent because of their sins.  However, God’s Word is not to simply bring conviction there must also be cleansing.  What Nehemiah is encouraging the people to realize is the pattern we all must follow when we come to the Word of God.  We must allow God’s Word to bring conviction in our lives of the ways we fall short of His standard.  After we have recognized that we are imperfect people we must allow the Holy Word of God to bring cleansing in our lives through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Then the final point, which Nehemiah is establishing here, is there must be a time of celebration of what God has done and is doing in our lives.  As Warren Wiersbe states there must be conviction, cleansing, and celebration in our lives.  If we follow this model, then we discover the joy of the Lord. 

Following the Day of Atonement was the Feast of the Tabernacles which was a week of celebration.  That celebration was rooted in this premise which Warren Wiersbe states in his Exposition of the Old Testament.  He says, “The secret of Christian joy is to believe what God says in His Word and act upon it. Faith that isn't based on the Word is not faith at all; it is presumption or superstition. Joy that isn't the result of faith is not joy at all; it is only a "good feeling" that will soon disappear. Faith based on the Word will produce joy that will weather the storms of life.”  Do you have the “joy” of the Lord today?

Celebrate Jesus Today,

Pastor Ric