“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.” – Nehemiah 8:10
One of the challenges my health coach presented to me was taking a photo with a bunch of pumpkins whose weight equaled what I had lost. Off I went to the grocery store, which had a huge display of pumpkins outside its doors. As I chose the appropriately weighted pumpkins, I found I couldn’t hold them all. I wasn’t strong enough to lift them. The thought that came to me was, “How in the world did I manage to lug 55 pounds of fat on my body for decades?”
There are a lot of things in life that require strength. Not necessarily physical strength either. It takes strength to move forward in life when things are tough. It takes strength to open yourself up to another person. It takes strength to stand up for what you believe when it seems you’re all alone. Where can a person find this kind of strength?
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This means that I can do anything when Jesus is my Lord and Saviour because He empowers me with His wisdom, guidance, and power through His Holy Spirit. How do I tap into His strength? As I read His Word, I learn more and more about Him, rejoicing in who He is, and what He means to me. Nehemiah wrote that the joy of the Lord is my strength.
When I seek God intimately, His presence in my life brings me great joy. Joy in the knowledge that He loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3), joy that He is preparing a place for me in heaven (John 14:2), joy that He will never leave me (Deuteronomy 31:8)… my list goes on and on! With this great joy in my heart, I can face anything!
Sometimes life seems like words and music
That can’t quite become a song.
So we cry inside, and we try it again
And wonder what could be wrong.
But, when we turn to the Lord at the end of ourselves
Like we’ve done a time or two before
We find His truth is the same
As it has always been
We’ll never need more
It’s not in trying But in trusting
It’s not in running But in resting
Not in wondering But in praying
That we find the strength of the Lord
(from “The Strength of the Lord” by Larnelle Harris)
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” – Ephesians 6:10
**********
Jesus is my strength! Jesus is my song! Jesus is my Saviour!