The joy of the Lord
Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
For many people, joy is an unattainable goal or a luxury. Because of how the world indoctrinates us, we are taught that happiness is based on our circumstances and material success. Oftentimes, people feel depressed when scrolling social media because others' lives look much happier and fulfilled
Some people mistakenly believe that joy is a temporary and fleeting emotion that is only triggered by certain experiences, similar to happiness. For example, we may have the wrong perception that we have to pray for a long time and worship long hours in order to feel temporary joy. There is nothing wrong with soaking in the spirit, but I want to highlight that joy is an eternal blessing within us. The reason why joy exists is because God's nature is joy. Joy comes from our relationship with Jesus, not from external circumstances.
The good news is that joy is a manifestation of spiritual fruit, and it resides within us, waiting for us to cultivate and harvest it. Another bad news is that the enemy wants to rob us of our joy through depression and hopelessness.
There will be times in our lives when we experience losses and trials that cause sadness, discouragement, and I personally find hopelessness the most devastating. Having hope means expecting good things to happen, so when one is without hope, it is a negative mindset that there is no way out, and nothing good will happen, and this is the lie of the enemy that helps us be self-focused instead of joy, which is God-focused.
That's why renewing our minds with God's word is so important, and we shouldn't suppress the negative emotions, especially the sense of depression and hopelessness that may arise from an unrealised hope. People who feel hopeless often have negative self-talk like, "What's the point of trying, it never works? "There's nothing I can do", "I'm useless and worthless" etc. Let's identify and list the lies that recur in our minds, then replace the wrong thoughts with God's truth.
Finally, the joy of the Lord is our strength, and one of its benefits is the continual flow of joy and strength to overcome any trials, the strength to love God and others. We ask that the Holy Spirit help us to not waste time feeling depressed or self-pitying, because joy can help us walk in victory and put ourselves in a position to be expectant of His hope!
Blessing prayer: I praise you that you are the strength of my heart. Fill me with joy when I feel weak. Your joy and strength are my only reliable sources, they never run out and are not affected by any circumstance. In Jesus' name, Amen
