"...Don’t be dejected and sad,
for the Joy of the Lord is your strength!"
The Word In Motion:
The Definition of Strength
state of being strong, endurance, power of resisting attack, force of an army
ability to deal with problems in a determined and effective way,
ability that makes one effective or useful.
Now...take one of the definitions that fits your situation
and put it in the place of the word STRENGTH.
The Joy of the Lord is my _________________
Example: The Joy of the Lord is my endurance.
His joy is my ability to endure
His joy is my ability to resist
His joy is my ability to be effective in this world..
WOW! His joy, HIS JOY,
changes our perspectives and enhances our abilities. It give us the strength to endure.
What do you need right now in your circumstances. Ask for His Joy to fill you and give you strength to endure, or resist, or to be effective.
This joy is a gift. He is offering it to you. All you have to do is receive.
What activates this gift or the batteries it needs is... Praise and Trust.
Paul in Philippians states: Rejoice in the Lord at all times.
Isaiah states: put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
David states: God is his strength, I trust Him always and my heart is full of JOY!
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Joy isn't just happiness - It is the substance of contentment. It is trust in the knowledge, no the fact that God is ever-present, in control of all things, faithful, never grows weary, and He understands better than anyone else what is going on in our lives.
He is hope and He is joy.
Let His Joy flow through you now. Let your soul rejoice in Him.
HE IS YOUR STRENGTH!
your moral strength
your character strength
your inner strength
The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Ps 28:7