“We are joyful because we serve a joyful God.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 30, 2025
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, 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, ESV
Though located deep within a somewhat obscure Old Testament book, Nehemiah 8:10 holds one of the most well-known and cherished phrases in the whole of the Bible: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I’ve been reflecting on the theme of joy this year, longing for it to be more descriptive of my life and journey of faith, for in truth, it has been, at times, an elusive and fleeting emotion. My prayer is for an increase in consistent and steadfast joy that transcends mood or situation, and I wonder if this phrase from Nehemiah might hold the key?
Interestingly, the joy referenced here is the joy of the Lord. Not the joy that the Lord gives to me. Not my joy. The Lord’s joy. God is a joyful God. This might be one of the most overlooked attributes of God. We spend so much time reflecting on his omnipotence or his omnipresence, his justice or his sovereignty, all of which are good and true, yet how often do you meditate on the wonder of the Lord’s joy, that we serve a joyful God who delights in his creation?
When we experience or encounter joy in our lives, it is a moment in which we are living more fully into what it means to be human, for to be a human being is to be a creature made in the image of its creator. We love because he first loved us, as we are told in 1 John 4:19. Yet the same truth applies here today. We are joyful because we serve a joyful God. It is his very nature to be joyful, and the more we live in alignment with his will and purpose for our lives, the more we will participate in the joy of the Lord.
In fact, if you long for more joy in your life, perhaps focusing on joy is the wrong approach. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, an overflow of a life lived in the presence of God. To borrow the phrasing from Matthew 6, as our Lord reminds us, let us seek first the kingdom of God, learning to live by the rhythms of his grace, and joy will be added in great abundance.
Prayer
Father, teach us to live in daily communion with you, that your joy may be our great strength, we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Keep this phrase on your heart and mind throughout the day today: “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”
Related Reading
Psalm 16:11; Isaiah 55:12; Zephaniah 3:17
Worship Resource
The Belonging Co feat. David Dennis: The Joy
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