Where’s the joy?

The Bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, “„…the joy you have in the Lord is your strength.”
The verse is familiar and has always spoken to me. But the other day someone at a seminar casually said, “If I don’t have joy in the Lord, I don’t have strength.”

Wow, that hit me, kind of shook me up and made me think. When I consider that, it’s a logical conclusion: if joy in the Lord is my strength, then by implication it’s clear that without that joy I have no strength.

It is important for me to define this joy. There are two kinds of joy. One is more the momentary happiness or cheerfulness that I feel when I laugh at a really good joke, have fun with friends, get a great gift, when I see a beautiful sunset. Simply when my situation or surroundings give me reason to be happy or joyful.

Joy in the Lord, on the other hand, takes place deep in my heart and is independent of my current situation. I have this joy when I have understood that God is a good Father who sees me personally, who cares for me and who never leaves me alone; I am forgiven and I have eternal life waiting for me. This joy is in me and does not change when my circumstances change. Do you know this joy?

The intense pleasure you give me surpasses the gladness of harvest time, even more than when the harvesters gaze upon their ripened grain and when their new wine overflows. Psalm 4:7

My impression is that we Christians – myself included – still have far too little joy in us. We have not yet fully understood that it is available and that we can do something to have this joy more and more in our heart.

To have the joy is related to the time I spend in the presence of God or in his Word. I experience this joy when I nourish my mind and heart with God’s truths, when my focus is more on God’s love and goodness than on the chaos of the world, when I read my Bible, and especially when I sit and just listen to God. This is especially important when my circumstances don’t look so rosy. That’s exactly when I need to keep that focus and that’s exactly when this joy helps me the most!

Nothing encourages more than when God talks to you, because God gives you what you need most at that moment. He speaks through inner images and impressions, through Bible verses, through words or song lyrics, intuitive knowledge… And he speaks when you are open to his speaking and give him time. Like a good father, he wants you to come and ask. He has everything prepared for you. God has not hidden all that you need from you, but for you, so that you can find it! And with it you will find joy!

Find out for yourself how good the Lord is. Happy are those who find safety with him. Psalm 34:8

I notice this in myself: When I am aware that God loves me, this joy bubbles up in me – for no apparent reason. I get up joyfully in the morning and am excited to see what the day will bring, because I know that God is kind. Sometimes I even ask myself why I am in such a good mood. Only to find that I am inwardly rejoicing to be a beloved child of a benevolent, divine Father.

And with that comes strength: I actually have more strength when I am joyful, I have a different and more convincing effect on other people, I have more energy for my tasks and, above all, I am more connected to God’s wisdom and insights.

Every contact with God and his truth leads you closer to the joy of the Lord. And with that comes strength!