When we think of joy, many images or feelings come to our mind. For example, you might picture someone who is happy and content or you might be feeling content as well. Joy is described as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness according to Webster. While there is joy that is temporary which comes from the world, there is an eternal joy that comes from Jesus and you can live in that joy right now. How do we obtain this joy and what is this joy? Let us dive in and discuss!
The last part of Nehemiah 8:10 states “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” What does this mean? How can joy be our strength? When we look at the surrounding events in Nehemiah 8, we know the children of Israel came back from their exile in Babylon and they are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra, the scribe read these from the Law of Moses as an encouragement to the people that they can be joyful despite all that is happening. We too can always be joyful, no matter what is happening in our life. However, there is a temporary and an eternal joy.
When we say temporary joy, it can be things like a hobby, a relationship, family, friends, etc. These things can make us happy but it will never give eternal joy. What is eternal joy? Eternal joy is forever and it comes only from knowing the Lord and having a close relationship with Him. It comes from knowing Him not just as God but also as your Father, Friend, Creator, Comforter, Protector, Defender, Counselor, etc. You can know God on a basic level or a more intimate level where you can hear Him speaking to you, giving you strength, guiding you, etc.
The exciting part is that the Lord wants to be all these things to us! He will only be as close to us as we want Him to be. Joy comes from knowing that God is always for you and not against you. When we have experienced God in all His goodness, nothing else will ever satisfy or measure up. At times when we do not feel loved or deserving, God comes to us with His unconditional love and accepts us as we are. As Acts 8:31 states “…If God is for us, who can be against us?” When you know that God is for you, you can experience a trial with joy instead of letting it beat you down. We can be the happiest people in the world despite all our trials simply because we know the Lord intimately and that we are never alone in this world.
However, when we experience a trial, it does not mean that we should not do anything on our end. If there is something we can do about it, we should do our part and let the Lord work through the situation. We live our life by faith and not by sight. Resorting to a negative mind about the situation only encourages the enemy instead of praising and trusting God. When our joy comes only from the Lord, we will not accept anything that is contrary to Him and His Word.
How can we obtain this joy for ourselves? We can start by taking time to know the Lord for ourselves and to read His Word continually. Reading and talking to God is very pivotal if we ever want to hear from Him and be close with Him. We should also not let the world have a strong hold on us that we forget God and His goodness. When we have the joy of the Lord, the world cannot take it away and we will enjoy the fullness of God and all that He can do for us. It is not too late to experience this joy for ourselves. God is always ready to deliver and make us new again, we just have to reach out in faith and continue to keep pursuing after Him.
Thought for the Week: What is currently giving you joy? How do you seek a joy that is eternal?