The joy of the Lord is your strength - Neh. 8:10

A group of us recently went to the Fresh Grounded Faith conference with Jennifer Rothschild and Ann Voskamp.  Wish I could sit over a thousand cups of coffee with each of you to share the blessings of what these two precious women shared with us.  Jennifer, legally blind for many years, shared delightful words about how we are not defined about our feelings...we are defined by who we are in Christ.  Some day maybe I'll tell you more.  However, today I want to share with you what Ann said about joy. Much of this is taken from her book ONE THOUSAND GIFTS.

One of Voskamp's key themes comes from the word eucharisteo, the giving of thanks.  Charis means grace, chara means joy - very much related to each other and wrapped up together.   She said (in talking about Jesus' giving of thanks in all his hard days): "as long as thanks to God is possible, then joy in God is always possible".  Are you looking for joy today?  Where are you looking?  Are you allowing circumstances or relationships to rob your joy?   Ann says about our verse for today...

If you let someone steal your joy, they steal

your strength.  If you don't fight for joy, it's

your children, your husband...all lose because

of it.

She said we are going to have to pursue it, run afte it, chase it...joy will not come easily but because it is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), it is very much available to us.

Nehemiah knew this principle. Ezra had just read from the Book of the Law and the people knew they had not obeyed it...they were mourning and weeping over their sins.  Nehemiah instructed them not to mourn but to celebrate.  Are you celebrating your salvation today?  Your forgiveness?  His great love for you?  Or are you letting your own past rob you of joy?  Or the circumstances of your life?  The people who have failed you?

If, in Jesus' suffering, He gave thanks, I believe there is nothing in all the world that can rob me of my joy...and I simply will not let it.  He died that His joy might be in me and might be complete (John 15:11).

Philippians 4:4 says "Rejoice in the Lord always".  1 Thes. 5:16-18 says: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..."  "The joy of the Lord is our strength".  Are you feeling pretty strong today?  If not, run after it.

For further study:  1 Chron. 16:27, Esther 9:20-22, Psalm 21:6, Psalm 51:12, Psalm 66:1, Proverbs 12:20, John 15:11, Romans 12:12, Gal. 5:22-23, Philippians 4:4-7

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love, 

Holly