"The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength" - Nehemiah 8:10 - Glacier National Park (Montana, USA) - Photo by Whitney V. Myers
This lesson presents seven key Bible verses and principles about joy.
Bible verse quotations below are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless noted otherwise (Ref. 1).
1. The joy of the Lord is your strength
"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.'" (Nehemiah 8:10)
The joy of the Lord is our refuge, our place of safety [literally, a fortified place], and our strength (Ref. 2). The joy of the Lord as our source of strength can be relied upon when danger threatens (Ref. 2). Note that joy is not the result of strength, but the source of strength. 2. Fullness of joy is found in the Lord's presence
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)
God's presence [God's face], is synonymous with favor, guidance, and life itself (Ref. 3). In our devotion to God, when we seek God's presence, we find fullness of joy that satisfies our soul (Ref. 4). 3. Joy is sustained by abiding in Christ and his word
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." (John 15:4)
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11) Jesus promised that his joy would be in us (believers in Christ) (John 15:11). Jesus makes our joy full [literally, complete] (Ref. 5). Jesus is the giver of joy. We receive his joy by believing in him, abiding in him, and obeying his word. All of the New Testament mentions of the word "joy" in this lesson are translated from the same Greek word, chara. Chara means cheerfulness and calm delight (Ref. 6). Joy is Spirit-given delight that arises from the redemptive acts and abiding presence of God (Ref. 6). 4. Sorrow is turned into joy through the resurrection of Christ
"Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy." (John 16:20)
On the night before he was crucified, Jesus told his disciples that they would be sorrowful, but that their sorrow would be turned into joy (John 16:20). Jesus' disciples would be sorrowful because of his coming death, but their sorrow would be turned to joy because of his resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us and our loved ones who die in Christ joy today. We know we will see one another again (John 16:21-22). David expressed a similar thought about sorrow turning into joy for the Lord's "godly ones" (Psalm 30:4 NASB 1995): "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5 NASB 1995) 5. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)
A child of God passes the fruit test. Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruit" (Matthew 7:16 NASB 1995, Ref. 7). A true child of God produces the fruit of the Spirit -- "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). 6. Joy is found in doing the will of God, even when it is a cross
"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus found joy in doing the will of his heavenly Father, specifically suffering and dying on a cross to save the world (John 3:17, Hebrews 12:2). In a similar way, as Jesus' followers, will find joy in serving God and in completing the assignments he gives us. 7. Joy is an enduring presence, especially during trials
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (James 1:2-3 NASB 1995)
As believers in Christ, we should consider it joy when we encounter and go through trials because those trials strengthen our faith and produce endurance. Trials can become a cause for joy because in them we see God's hand to deliver us. Remembering how God helped us in the past will strengthen us and give us hope when new trials come.
Prayer. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your joy that you give us each day. Thank you for making our joy complete. Thank you for being with us and strengthening us through our trials and giving us endurance. In your name we pray, Amen.
Related Lessons
"The Meaning of God's Favor" - Psalm 30:5 "Characteristics of a Child of God - Part 1" - Matthew 7:16 "Bible Verses About the Cross" - Hebrews 12:1-2
References
1. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/English-Standard-Version-ESV-Bible/ 2. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4581.htm 3. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/6440.htm 4. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7648.htm 5. https://biblehub.com/greek/4137.htm 6. https://biblehub.com/greek/5479.htm 7. https://www.scriptureway.com/home/characteristics-of-a-child-of-god-part-1
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God's Presence Bible Verses - Jesus speaking to his disciples - "Lo, I am with you always" - Matthew 28:20 - Free Bible Images - Used under license
"Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Throughout the Bible, God has promised his presence to be with his people. God's presence is comforting and is real. God's presence with his people is forever. The Bible verse quotations for this lesson are taken from the New American Standard Bible 1995 edition unless noted otherwise (Ref. 1). Consider. Through these scriptures, know that God is with you. He will guide you, protect you, teach you, and be your companion all the days of your life. God is with us throughout the pilgrimage of our life, wherever we go
When Jacob was sojourning, looking for a wife, God spoke to him in a dream (Genesis 28:1-3, 10-14). "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (Genesis 28:15, underlines added). God fulfilled his promise to Jacob. Later in his life after Jacob had gained a household, Jacob remembered God's promise. In Genesis 35:1-3, we see that Jacob set up an altar to God who "has been with me wherever I have gone."
God promises to be with us wherever he leads us in the fulfillment of his purpose. God's presence is everywhere
David wrote of God, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there" (Psalm 139:7-8). David went on to say that even in the remotest part of the sea, "there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me" (Psalm 139:9-10). There is no place we can go that is beyond God's providential care, his authority, and control (Ref. 2).
Because God is with us, we have nothing to fear
Through the prophet Isaiah, God tells us not to fear. "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10, underline added).
God's presence is with us when we go through trials and troubles
Through the prophet Isaiah, God spoke to his people. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you" (Isaiah 43:2, underline added). Recall that God provided a fourth person "like a son of the gods" to be present with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace so they were not scorched (Daniel 3:24-27).
Thank you, Lord, that when we experience trials and troubles, you are with us and you deliver us through them. God's word says, "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). God's presence through the Holy Spirit is with us and in us to make our ministry effective
On the evening before his death, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit [literally, paraklétos - Helper, Comforter - one who comes alongside] would come to them and that the Holy Spirit would be with them forever (John 14:16, Ref. 3). Jesus also said to his disciples that the Holy Spirit "will be in you" (John 14:17, underline added). The promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit was fulfilled beginning on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and continues unabated to this day. The indwelling Holy Spirit is God's presence and God's gift to all persons worldwide who believe in God's Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 2:37-39, John 14:17, 1 Corinthians 6:19).
The Holy Spirit, God's presence in us, empowers us for ministry (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit, God's presence in us, gives us spiritual gifts that we may serve effectively the body of Christ and people in the world in Christ's name (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). God's presence will never fail us nor forsake us
"Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed'" (Deuteronomy 31:7-8).
God promises to be with us forever (John 14:16). We shall have his constant, perpetual presence -- always -- even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Thanks be to God! Amen.
Related Lesson
"God Our Refuge, Strength, and Help (Psalm 46:1)" References 1. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-American-Standard-Bible-NASB1995/ 2. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/psalms/139.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges - Psalm 139:10 3. https://biblehub.com/greek/3875.htm |
Daily Bible Verse
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