The joy of the Lord is my strength...

“The joy of the Lord is my strength” Nehemiah 8:10

I heard a sermon once about this verse that continually encourages me whenever I hear this verse. Most people interpret this verse, as the joy we have or receive from being in relationship with Jesus is our strength. This is a great interpretation. There is joy, overflowing joy, found in relationship with Christ. But what about the times you feel joy is far away, is strength from the Lord far away too?

The sermon I heard put it this way. What is the Joy of the Lord? Not our joy in knowing God but what is the Lord's Joy. What brings God joy? If you think of it in context of God as our Heavenly father, we can compare it to the joy a father feels when taking care of his children. The strength I find, especially when going through hard times, is from God delighting in taking care of me. Its not “my joy” in the Lord, but “His joy” in his role as my heavenly father, that gives me the strength to carry on

The Joy of the Lord is my strength, not my Joy by God’s in being who He is! His joy in being my heavenly father.

Here’s the example that the Pastor used that helped me understand what he meant by God’s joy in being God, giving us strength. This video is about Dick and Rick Hoyt, a father and son who have run over 1000 road races together, multiple marathons, and triathlons including the Iron Man. Watch the video, its amazing.

This is how I see it. Rick (the son, who is severely disabled) gets strength to compete in these races from his Dad. Dick’s joy is found in being Rick’s dad, carrying him, pushing him, the joy is him being able to do these things for his son. And then the joy comes for Rick too, in being able to do things no one ever thought he’d be able to do.

God’s takes Joy in taking care of us, in carrying us, in pushing us, and from that we find strength, strength do things no one ever thought we could do, or get through times that we think we don’t have the strength to get through. Then we find joy in this strength and the realization that God is taking such joy in loving us.

So when it’s hard to find joy, remember that our strength is not based on how much joy we have but it comes from the Joy of the Lord, it comes from our Heavenly Father’s delight in taking care of us.  Our strength does not come from anything we do, but from all that He has done, and does to take care of us.  

His Joy is my Strength!