The Joy of the LORD is OUR Strength

The word of my testimony today is Neh 8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

I have often read the surrounding scriptures to this passage . Their story is similar to mine right now in a lot of ways. I have been asking for understanding . Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading. I realized worshiping God and praising Him for His goodness precedes the eyes of my heart being opened. Neh 8:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with [their] faces to the ground.

Even as these things were taking place in my life I knew " it " would be coming. The it being a repentance . The word gives an understanding of what repentance looks like . Sometimes the way to get from a life style that does not include the kind of thinking or those kind of actions, is very hard to get to. The people listening to Ezra realized repentance was going to be different than what they had been doing. A sorrow set in , but Ezra realised that they were not going to be able to perform the repentance in a sorrowful , heavy , downcast state. So he encourages them, "yes, "(I believe he was saying.) "Yes, do make a change in your life style . Yes, do apply the understanding you have been given to your lives. However, do it joyfully . For the joy of the LORD is your strength. "

If he said, "the joy of the LORD " was available to them , then it surely is available to me. The old way of thinking that says, "you get joy after you have earned it," does not come from any Bible based line of thought. Now "more" joy , yes, maybe. However, God never expected me to perform a repentance or be joyful because of something I can do on my own. The "joy of my salvation" certainly comes from nothing I have done to earn it. Only receive it.

I have a great desire to extend the same grace and give the same love to others that Christ has given me. This can only happen if I am able to receive it from Him. While I am in process of receiving I turn again and give it out. This seems to make room for more to be given to me.

"Blessed be the LORD. May the joy of the LORD be our strength. "