Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength”Nehemiah 8:10
How can anybody stay joyful in the midst of difficulties, yet that's exactly what the word of God says.
Simply put, it’s the fruit of joy that strengthens us to go through whatever we have to deal with and make it to the end result. That’s why, as Christians, joy should be our normal mood.
Paul was determined to enjoy the journey no matter how many potholes were in the road. In Colossians 1:11, he wrote, “[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy” (AMP). Our joy is a weapon. It gives us the ability to not only endure difficulties, but to enjoy life in the midst of them.
But what happens when you wake up in the morning feeling low, irritated, discouraged or frustrated—and you don’t know exactly why? There has to be a reason. Well, for every “fruit” there is a root. And if you don’t get to the root of a bad mood, you just start blaming everything and everybody for making you feel bad, and focusing only on all the things that are wrong rather than the good God is doing in your life.
Before you start thinking, “But you don’t understand how bad things have been and how much I’m hurting,” I want to remind you of an encouraging truth. God never tells us to do something He doesn’t give us the ability to do. Philippians 4:13 (AMP) says, “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” The key is to always lean on Jesus for the ability and strength you need to do what you need to do.
We must spend daily time in God’s presence if we're going to live with the joy of the Lord. The more intimate our personal relationship with Him becomes, the better our fruit will be. Isaiah 40:31 (AMP) confirms it: “Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
Now that should help us today face any obstacle and remain joyful:))
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