“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Joy

Recently I wrote about the myriad emotions that I have experienced on this unexpected journey. The one that I didn’t know I would encounter so wonderfully—and the one that I didn’t even fully understand what it would mean to me—is the joy of the Lord. I’ve shared about it before, but it seems I keep understanding and experiencing it at deeper levels.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

I know the Bible promises that joy. It sounds simple. We can even take it for granted that it’ll be there. But I’ve been pondering what it actually means in a tangible, everyday experience and walk of life in all that we face. What does it look like? How do I get it? One thing I know for sure is that it can only come from Him. Nothing the world has to offer can give us the joy that is our strength in the midst of suffering and trials.

For me, the joy of the Lord is:

–  a peace when turmoil rages all around me.

– a calm in the middle of a raging storm of pain and hardship.

– a deep comfort in facing grief and loss.

– a contentment that is totally unexplainable except for His grace.

– a happiness when everything is still very sad.

– a “rest” in my spirit even though tears are rolling down my cheeks.

– an ability to enjoy life in spite of tragic and difficult circumstances.

It’s not a happy-go-lucky feeling. It goes so much deeper than anything I can feel. His joy is a bottomless well that I can draw on. There is an abundant supply, and the well will never go dry. No drought will dry up the well of His joy.

His joy is a gift that we need to receive. We can choose it. We need to take hold of it. We even need to practice it. On some of my hardest days, I speak out obtaining His joy in these ways. It’s there, but I can’t be passive about it.

I think one of the ways we can be active in receiving His joy is by believing that He truly loves us—that He delights in us. I know from experience that the enemy loves to whisper lies in my ears that I’m not doing enough. That I’m failing God. That He’s disappointed in me.

We can also be active in receiving His joy by spending time in His Word and meditating on His promises. We can enter into His comfort and joy by worshipping Him, even when we don’t feel like it. It’s so important to remember who He is, to reflect on all He’s done, and to proclaim His truth and promises. It’s hard not to have the joy that He gives when we’re doing these things!

Happiness is a response we can have to our circumstances, but joy is the sweet gift that comes straight from the throne of grace. In fact, the Greek word for joy and grace are almost identical. They come from the same root word. Joy (His grace) doesn’t disappoint us in hard times. It is our wonderful strength from the Father. Nothing and no one can take it away!

“Father, help us to see the joy You give, even when life is hard. Amen.”