June 8

The Joy of the Lord is our Strength

              Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

    

            Of the characteristics that I listed in my job interview when I was asked about my strengths, the “Joy of the Lord,” was not one of them.  It never occurred to me.

            Joy has always been a challenge for me.  I easily find fault and see inefficiencies in systems and organizations and people.  A successfully completed task tends to make me think about what still lies ahead of us instead of celebrating what has been accomplished.  If left to my own devices, I tend to alternate between worry and regret as I strive for perfection.

            Joy does not fear about what tomorrow holds or stress about what is yet to be done.  It does not look back with regret and sadness over the losses and mistakes of yesterday.  Joy exists in the present, a celebration of the goodness of the moment that God has given to us.  It could be a moment of quiet and rest.  It could be a moment of frenzied activity.  It could be a moment with our children or spouse.  It could be a moment of worship.  God is with us through them all.  God calls us beloved and cherished children through them all.  God runs beside us when we are strong and carries us when we are weak through them all.  If God is for us, which He is, who could overcome us?  This knowledge…this joy is our strength.  Not our accomplishments.  Not our intelligence or abilities.  Not our charming personalities or our fat bank accounts.  Our strength…the foundation upon which we stand and build our life, is not what we bring to the moment, but what God brings to each and every one of our moments with Him.

            The joy of the Lord is our children’s strength.  Not their therapist.  Not their medications.  Not their routine or the quality of their hearts or minds.  Not us.  The joy of the Lord…the confidence that He loves them and will not leave them…that is their strength.  The joy that they feel in His pleasure over them; that is their strength.  They are in Him and He is in them and God will allow no one to drive them apart.  God holds them in His mighty hands and carries them through this life and into the next.  He sings songs that only their hearts understand.  He dances in ways that only they can see.  God, the Almighty Father and Creator of All, sees you child, knows your child and delights in your child.  And because of that delight, our kids can be joyful.  And because of that joy, our kids can be strong.

            Do not grieve because times are challenging.  Do not be sad because health fails and bank accounts shrivel and life is hard.

The Joy of the Lord is your Strength.

A moment to reflect:

How can you choose Joy today?