Here is Jesus still saying to us:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jn 10:10 ESV
This thief, the evil one, is trying to kill our joy. Nehemiah 8:10 speaks about how the Joy of the Lord is our strength. This Joy does not mean we will be happy with every situation that is happening to, and around us. This Joy speaks about something much deeper. Happy is based on situations, and since they always change, our level of happiness does too. If things are going well, we are happy. If things are not going well, then we are not happy. See? But this godly Joy I am talking about is based on God, Who never changes and so we can learn to have a steady flow of this Joy which will strengthen us to do whatever it is we must.
Again it centers on this connection we have with God. Knowing, not intellectually, but in our hearts, that 1- God loves us and 2- God is in complete control, should give us great relief that, no matter what is going on, it is all going to be alright. This strengthens us to stay with Christ and do whatever it is we have to do to get to the other side of any difficult situation. For instance, when I had to give Beckie injections or change her gastrostomy tube or any number of other difficult things I had to do for her, because I held on to the Joy of the Lord, I was able to do things that left me in awe. Even now I can look back and wonder at how I did it all…but I know how, it is the strength that flowed into me, and then out of me, because of Jesus.
My Friends, when this connection with Jesus becomes real to us, Joy automatically gives us the strength to fight the good fight of Faith. The enemy does not know what to do with this strength and so he tries to cut it off at the root…but he cannot, if we do not let him. The more we determine, that means we make a firm commitment to Christ, to hold on to Him no matter what, the more this life giving strength flows in and through us, and the things we can accomplish will astound us. This thief wants to make us so weak we feel like we have no choice but to crumble into darkness and despair. Don’t let him! Hold on to the Joy of our Lord and let Jesus strengthen you from the inside out. I will say it again: remember, we fight against a defeated enemy…remind him too, by ignoring his tactics and staying joyful.
Join me in memorizing 52 verses this year:
January: 1- Jn 3:16; 2- 2Co 5:17; 3- Jas 2:26; 4- Eph 2:10
5- Jn 10:10
<>< Peace, Diane
