Topic: Joy And Strength 1 [Monday May 29, 2017]
“This day is holy … mourn not nor weep… neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10).
You need not remain sorrowful after you have repented. Joy and strength are like twins. I Chron. 16:27 describes it beautifully: “… strength and gladness are in His place.” Moses said that the LORD was his strength and song. The Psalmist submits that the king would joy in the strength of the LORD. No doubt, joy and strength are related. Joy and strength can produce a miracle. That is because the devil cannot cope with the product that comes out of a mixture of joy and strength. No disease or power can stand it either. I advise you to go to any length to learn how to mix joy with strength in your life.
There are mainly two kinds of joy. The first is the natural Joy, which is controlled by immediate circumstances. For instance, if you buy a new car you get excited. Within this first type of joy is a temporary one that is stimulated by drugs or alcohol. It intoxicates people so that they feel very high, but when its effect is over, it gives them an unhappy appearance.
In an attempt to escape from the police, a friend of mine who was very high on drugs, ran straight into a wall, at full speed, and lost all his teeth. He got up and started smiling, but in the morning, when the side effects of the drugs had cleared, he felt excruciating pains all over. Many things that give temporary joy include fornication, adultery and stealing. But they are deadly.
“The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.” (Job 20:5)
Word of Wisdom: Some types of joy leave you looking like a fool.
Prayer/Confession: I need your oil of gladness in my life, O LORD. Give it to me, in Jesus’ name.
Further Reading: Exo. 15:20-21, Ps. 21:1
