paravanes:meditations

  (c) Deborah Evans Nehemiah 8:10: "Do not grieve...the joy of the Lord is your strength." What does this mean? Read the book of Nehemiah, not a long book, if you want to understand the historical context of this statement. What can it mean for us in 2023? We were created for joy and happiness. The joy and happiness experienced in our creation was based on our close, uninterrupted connection to God. We cut that connection in the early days of humanity (see Genesis, the book of beginnings) and God restored to us the option of that connection through Jesus Christ.  As Christ followers, we can now honestly say "the joy of the Lord is my strength." What does this joy look like in our life experiences? We have the security of knowing in this life we walk a road prepared for us and will have a safe, final arrival in God's kingdom in a place made specifically for us. See John 14:2. We have the certainty of knowing we don't exist through a random process of chance, ...

What is the "joy of the Lord"? Experiencing God's joy may feel differently for each of us, but that joy always has one element in common: we look forward to what God does for us in this life and also in the life to come. Our joy cannot be based on heaven alone. Eternal life doesn't begin when we leave this world. Salvation is for here and for heaven. Eternal life begins when we choose Jesus as our leader and we commit to following and obeying Him. We were created to be in fellowship with our creator. It's that fellowship that brings joy. That fellowship requires God's leading and our obedience. There cannot be one without the other. How does joy show up, and how is it experienced? The joyful Christian is free from holding grudges, because vengeance has been turned over the God. The joyful Christian isn't unnaturally stressed, because God assumes responsibility for the believer's safety, welfare and wellness. The joyful Christian under...