Living 4 Him

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

How grateful I am for my mom who loves to write and keeps a diary of life’s daily stories.  I was recently reading from a small notebook holding interesting tidbits about my first two years of life.  What pleasure to read about events I have no memory of; tasting my first sweet potatoes, my first stroller ride, watching the colorful characters on my musical mobile.

But most eye-opening was reading the firsthand account of how much joy I brought to my parents.  Their love for me was so great that no matter what I was doing, just looking at me evoked delight like nothing else could.

Joy, just because we exist, is exactly how God feels about us!  Jesus’ words and actions demonstrated God’s deep fondness for his children.  In Matthew 6, Jesus tells those listening how God knows us personally, even counting the hairs on our heads.  Our lives are more valuable to him than a flock of sparrows, which he also cares for because they are part of his creation. 

Max Lucado stresses the joy of our Father in a quote from Grace for the Moment Volume 1: God sees us with the eyes of a Father.  He sees our defects, errors, and blemishes. But He also sees our value.  What did Jesus know that enabled Him to do what He did?  Here’s part of the answer: He knew the value of people.  He knew that each human being is a treasure.  And because He did, people were not a source of stress, but a source of joy.

Jesus speaks of his own joy, which is also God’s joy, in John 15. After telling the disciples to remain close to him, abiding in his own love and to love others with the same love, he says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 (NIV)

What brings God joy?  Loving his creation.  Loving his children.  Then, as love is shared among his children, his own joy is complete. 

The book of Nehemiah brings us the beloved verse about the joy of the Lord being our strength.  Nehemiah was a Jew exiled to Babylon, staying faithful to God and trusting in God’s provision.  When he returned to Jerusalem, he felt God leading him to rebuild the wall of protection around the city.  Despite critics, Nehemiah prayed to God for help and the wall was built in 52 days. 

At the worship celebration for the wall, Ezra read passages from the Book of Laws written by Moses and as people began to cry and mourn for the ways they had treated God by not following his ways, Nehemiah reminded them of something that we need to remember, too.  “This is a sacred day before the Lord.  Do not be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)

Nehemiah stated how much joy God’s people bring to him.  We can depend on the joy of the Lord to bring us strength.  The biblical meaning of the word strength is interpreted in various ways: help, power, might, protection. In Nehemiah 8:10, strength is translated as a refuge or place of safety; a protection. 

God’s joy for us protects us against the harshness of this world.  Discouragements, trials, uncertainty or disillusionment do not need to rule our minds.  The joy of the Lord is our strength!  Absorb the reality of God’s joy for you and walk in new strength!

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in your soul): Praise God for his joy with this prayer of praise recorded in the book of Jude, verses 24-25.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.  All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world):  Imagine God and Jesus having a conversation about you and some of the ways that you bring joy to their hearts.