Being disciples, we are to have joy in the Lord. This daily devotion looks at how joy comes from God and gives us strength.
Nuggets
- Our joy is because of God.
- The product of God’s joy is our strength.
Devotions in Living Out God’s Word series
Nehemiah talked about two important things in verse 10: joy and strength. He connected the two.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Joy Comes from God
“Then he said to them, ‘Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength’” (Neh. 8:10 ESV)
Our joy is because of God.
Joy comes from God. It is His gift to give us that He puts deep in our souls.
God only gives joy to believers. Evans said it this way. He wrote, “None but the believer ought to rejoice.”
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Jesus agreed. He said, “You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy” (Jn. 16: 24 NLT).
That tells us that joy does not come from this world — circumstances or possessions. Joy only comes from serving God.
Oh, I know. Worldview people think they experience lots of joy.
Evans contends that we can only find true joy in Jesus. They really don’t know, in his opinion, what joy is. They mistake enthusiasm, fancy, and imagination for joy.
God wants us to experience and exhibit joy. We are to be like Him, and He is full of joy.
Joy is only found in God. It comes to us through the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy …” (Gal. 5: 22 CSB).
Did you catch that? It is joy in God.
That is because we gain joy through faith. Faith is a gift from God and a work of the Spirit that enhances the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives and distinguishes us from others.
Glossary
Joy cements our fellowship with God. We draw closer to Him as we spend time with Him.
Faith develops our minds. As we grow in knowledge and become closer to God, our minds enlarge to encompass His ways.
We obtain joy in doing the work for which He has called us to do. Obedience brings joy as well as blessings.
Randall told us how we let our joy be stolen. He wrote, “Indulgence of sin, carelessness of walk, inconsistency of conversation, will surely bring a cloud over the Christian’s joy.”
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Joy brings contentment. Contentment not only comes from how God provides for us, it it also comes from the happiness that God gives us.
Joy Brings Us Strength
“… for the joy of the Lord is your strength’” (Neh. 8:10 ESV)
The product of God’s joy is our strength.
But the joy isn’t just to give us warm fuzzy feelings and enjoyment. It is to give us strength.
Joy comes from our faith. “Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Phil. 1: 25 CSB).
Sanctification is a process. It is a road we journey down to go from from where we were to what we are to become.
Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration; gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit; and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal new birth and requickening that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
- The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Glossary
God gives us this strength so that we can serve Him. Burn said to serve Him we need to fitness, enjoyment, and enthusiasm.
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We are given joy to help us during our trials. We know we are going to suffer those.
Joy helps us perform the work in which God calls us. Each of us is tasked with expanding God’s kingdom. God gives us the joy to perform those tasks.
Joy also helps us to resist Satan. Satan wants us to doubt God and disobey Him. God gives us strength to stand firm against him.
We have to endure to the end. “But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ” (Heb. 3: 6 NLT). Joy helps us endure.
On our own, we are weak. Only God through the Holy Spirit can strengthen us.
Our dependence on God strengthens our faith.
Ooo, baby. Maclaren said something that clicked with me. I knew it. A reminder every once in a while is good.
Maclaren wrote, “All gladness has something to do with our efficiency; for it is the prerogative of man that his force comes from his mind, not from his body.
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Well, we say our faith comes from the mind. We make a conscious decision to believe.
We know we can make our decisions and rest in Jesus. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mt. 11: 28-30 NIV).
We find it all in Jesus.
Making the Connections #1
Burn said something interesting that ties this with the last two devotions. He wrote, “The joy of the Lord, therefore, becomes a Christian law of life.”
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Good memory! Ezra and Nehemiah were reading the Book of the Law to the Israelites to the people.
Moses’ law has been fulfilled by the joy Jesus brings us. We are to walk in His light.
Making the Connections #2
I think the world sees joy only as an outward expression. It isn’t.
True, it is about “… ‘If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me’” (Lk. 9: 23 CSB).
They see giving up and subjugation ourselves.
The problem is that they doing see our relationships with God as joyful. They don’t get that it is an inward expression.
Appleyard wrote that joy is “To be an inward testimony to ourselves that we have the smile of God’s approval coming down upon our efforts to do what is ‘pleasing and acceptable in His sight’ …”
Resource
Self-denial being benefits to us. It brings salvation.
Making the Connections #3
Since God is joy, we will be able to experience His joy for eternity when we are called home to be with Him. “I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them” (Jer. 33: 8-9 NLT).
How Do We Apply This?
- Follow the commandment to rejoice.
- “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil. 4: 4 ESV).
- Live cheerful lives.
- Totally believe in Christ — and put our faith and hope in Him.
- Triumph in what Jesus has done.
- Maintain our relationship with God so that we can maintain our joy.
- Rejoice in something in God daily.
- Don’t look for joy just to be joyful — find our joy in worshiping and serving God.
- Be joyful because of what God has done, is doing, and will do for a you.
- Find joy in surrendering to God.
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Father God. Thank You for giving us joy, peace, and rest. We seek to grow in Your grace and knowledge so that You can give us strength. Amen.
What do you think?
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