Joy Is Your Strength
By Dean Collins
Several years ago, I ordered my prayer life around six words: wisdom, clarity, courage, peace, rest, and resources. I prayed for these six things every day that year. During that year, I prayed these things for my readers, my family, my friends, and for Point University, where I served as president at the time. These prayers were answered over and over again in big and small ways. I don't remember exactly when, but sometime in the summer of that year I added a seventh word to my prayer list: joy.
I added that word because I think it flows from the first six things I asked God to provide in my life. Joy is not a planned state. I don't think one can command joy into their life, but joy is a state of being that is discovered when the Lord is present and is providing for your needs. It sometimes comes with celebration with friends or in corporate worship, and other times it comes quietly when you are alone but realize God is right beside you. It even comes at times in the middle of great difficulty. I think this kind of joy is what C.S. Lewis wrote about in his book, Surprised by Joy.
Nehemiah finally did come down off the wall when the work was completed. There was still a lot of work to do in restoring the city of Jerusalem, but Nehemiah's first job was complete and he gathered the people together to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Even with so much yet to do, the people of God gathered to celebrate and then to worship. Nehemiah gave the people this charge: "And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
When you see brokenness around you, it is hard not to grieve. When there is still so much to do, it is hard to make yourself slow down and celebrate. When you see so many who need so much, you sometimes find it hard to enjoy what God has provided for you today in your portion of his daily bread. But the word of the Lord is, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Until the Lord returns or we take our turn joining him in heaven—whichever may come first—there will be plenty of brokenness to fix and plenty of people to help. But when we take time to connect with God through his offerings of wisdom and clarity, his gifts of courage and peace, his blessings of rest and resources, we will discover his joy, and it will be our strength.
Your Time with God’s Word
Nehemiah 8:9-12, 9:30-33 ESV
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