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Wednesday Ramblings

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


I've heard that verse for as long as I can remember. It's one of those verses we put on coffee mugs and wall signs. We quote it when someone is going through a hard time. We sing songs about it in church. 

But lately, I've been thinking about what it actually means. Because if I'm being truthful, there are days when I don't feel particularly joyful. There are days when I'm tired. Days when I'm frustrated with people. Days when something is weighing heavily on my mind. Days when I'm worried about my family, disappointed by circumstances, or simply worn down by everyday life.

But the Scripture doesn't say, "The joy of the Lord is your strength...when everything is going well."          It simply says: The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Maybe we've confused joy with happiness. Happiness tends to depend on what is happening around us.    A good day makes us happy.                                                                                                                          Good news makes us happy.                                                                                                                          People behaving the way we wish they would make us happy.                                                                    But joy goes deeper than that.

 Joy says, God is still good even though today is hard.                                                                                 Joy says, I don't understand what He is doing, but I know who He is.                                                       Joy says, this situation may have changed, but my God hasn't.                                                               

The joy of the Lord is my strength because the Lord Himself is a steady.

Maybe you need this reminder too. Maybe life is good for you right now. Enjoy it. Thank God for it.

But maybe you are going through a time when joy feels a little harder to find. Maybe you're carrying something nobody knows about.

Maybe you're waiting on an answer.  Maybe someone has disappointed you. Maybe you're worried about someone you love. Or friend, maybe you're simply tired. I'm here to remind you that you don't have to manufacture happiness. 

Go back to what you know:

  • God is good.
  • God is faithful.
  • God sees you.
  • God loves you.
  • God has not abandoned you.
And your current circumstances do not get to determine whether those things are true. That's where joy begins. And strangely enough when we remember those truths, we often discover strength we didn't know we had.
Not because we are particularly strong.
But because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Hope you guys are having a great week so far. I've been a little busy and scatter-brained over here. 

Much Love,
Beth

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