The joy of the Lord is my strength - verse, lyrics, meaning, sermon and images

Everyone wants to live a life that is free from anxiety, sorrow, pain, disappointment, and other negative things. To enjoy the supernatural strength that comes from the Lord, you need His joy flowing in you. You must also get to the level where you are able to declare, "The joy of the Lord is my strength". A curious mind like yours may ask, "What is the correlation between the joy of the Lord and strength?" As we will discover from the pages of the Scripture, sorrow saps you of your energy but joy gives you strength. When you are strengthened, you can go far in life and even fulfill your assignment on earth.

You will agree that a weak person is limited to what he or she can do. In fact, when you are on a journey and you get tired or exhausted, moving on becomes challenging if not impossible. This is why everyone of us needs strength. How many people do you know in life who have given up because their strength failed them? Also, how many people do you know who gave in to a major temptation which they could have overcome just because they had no more strength to resist? The point I am trying to drive at is that we cannot do without strength, and it must be there at all times.

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In Proverbs chapter 24 verse 10, the Scripture says,

"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small."

Here, we see the correlation between strength and our ability to overcome temptations. More so, what does Nehemiah mean when he said that the joy of the Lord is your strength? I think this should be of concern to you. To this end, let us find out what exactly this verse of the Scripture is pointing at.

The joy of the Lord is my strength meaning

While we try to get the proper understanding of this statement, one thing I believe we should first of all settle is what the joy of the Lord is. Now, if you look at that statement very well, you will notice that it did not say that "the joy from the Lord" or "the joy in the Lord"; it did say "the joy of the Lord". This goes to tell you that there is a particular joy that belongs to the Lord. In fact, it points to the fact that God has joy. God is happy and He always wants each of His children to be happy as well. Although worldly things in the world may give you temporary joy or what is known as happiness, true joy comes from the Lord.

There is a dimension of joy that God gives which the world cannot give. This joy is so spectacular that ordinary words cannot explain or express it. This joy is of God and it also comes from Him. When someone encounters this joy, it transforms such a person and a one-time sorrowful person suddenly radiates the glory of God. So, when we talk about the joy of the Lord, we are talking about the gladness of heart that comes from an understanding that we know God, abide in Christ, and that we are filled with His Holy Spirit.

There is a special kind of joy that you will experience when you have an assurance of God's abiding presence with you. By this, even where there is no one around you or when it seems as though everyone had deserted you, you are happy and confident to move on because you know that God is ever with you even though you cannot see Him. Apart from that, the understanding that you are in the will of God and that you are acceptable before Him gives you a sense of assurance that there is nothing that can shake you.

In short, when we say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength", it simply means that the joy of knowing the Lord, walking in His will and doing what pleases Him grant us strength. Nehemiah, who made this statement, must also be talking about the understanding of a very close relationship and fellowship with the Lord. This joy originates from the Lord, hence nothing can spoil or tamper with it. Put in another way, when a believer says, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," as Charles Spurgeon explains it, "...the believer feels an entire satisfaction in leaving himself in the hands of eternal and immutable love". It also springs from an assurance that the future, whatever it may be, is guaranteed by divine goodness.

The joy of the Lord is my strength verse

1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

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.

7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

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.

-Nehemiah 8:1-10 (KJV)

To understand this passage better, it is good to have a fore-knowledge of what led to the chapter. For a long time, the city wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and left desolate. After Nehemiah knew about it, he mobilised people to rebuild it. Once that was completed, the people gathered to listen to the Mosaic Law from a senior priest as was their custom. While listening, they all got pricked in their heart and felt guilty based on all the wrong things that they had done to their maker. This guilt caused the people to mourn. However, instead of weeping, Nehemiah stood up and had to explain to the people that the moment they were in was not a time to weep but the time to rejoice because of the restoration of the city-wall.

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From this event, it is worth learning that no matter how far we may have gone as sinners or rebellious children, at our moment of restoration to God, it is never a time to blame ourselves for our wrong acts but it is a time to rejoice. This is because it is a great gift and a rare privilege to be brought back to fellowship with God. So, instead of feeling sorrowful again, God wants us to rejoice. He wants us to be happy to His glory and to the shame of the devil who led us astray in the first place.

The joy of the Lord is my strength sermon

What do you do when you suddenly discover that there is no more strength in you? At such times, the best step that you can take is to look up to God. God has the solution to every situation, no matter how unpleasant it may be; He is constantly waiting for us to call unto Him. In the statement, "The joy of the Lord is my strength", there are two things that are connected with each other, and they are: joy and strength.

Again, in Galatians 5:21, we are told that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. By implication, joy comes from the Holy Spirit, making it a spiritual virtue. It is not physical and so it is not manipulative. More so, the fact that it is not physical means that it is not based on circumstances. That is to say that it has nothing to do with what goes well or what does not go well in or around you. This is a genuine kind of joy that everyone must strive to get.

But how do you get this kind of joy that I am talking about? Check out what Psalm 16:11 (KJV) says:

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

The New English Translation Bible records this verse like this:

"You lead me in the path of life; I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight."

There is an absolute joy that you will enjoy whenever you are in the presence of God. Consequently, a continual abiding in God's presence qualifies and guarantees you a continuous flow of joy which will produce divine strength.

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When you are conscious of God's presence all the time and you carry it everywhere you go, you are invigorated with divine strength. This strength will keep you going so that while others are fainting, you will still be standing. While others are giving up, you will keep moving. This is the kind of strength that you need. It is the strength that is derived from the understanding that God is with you and therefore, no one can be against you; nothing can hurt or harm you. You are divinely secured and protected. There are other ways through which you can experience the joy of the Lord to get strength, they are explained below:

• Trust in the Lord. Psalm 5:11 (KJV) says "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy." When you learn to trust in God, you will always enjoy His strength.
• Live righteously (Psalm 132:9). God is righteous and He is constantly attracted to righteous people. When you commit to living a righteous life, then you will always enjoy limitless access to His joy which will reproduce His strength in you.
• Learn to speak the right words always (Proverbs 15:23). Ensure that you say the right words that will encourage those that listen to you. This also produces joy in you.
• Rest in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). The Holy Spirit is your best companion on the journey of life. Allowing Him to live through you and choosing to be led by Him qualifies you for His joy at all times.

Here is a song that talks about the joy of the Lord. It is such an inspiring song that you can use to lift your spirits at times when you feel like giving up. It is worth listening to over and over again. Below are the lyrics of the song.

The joy of the Lord is my strength lyrics

[Verse 1]

The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord is my strength

[Verse 2]

The word of faith is nigh thee

Even in thy mouth

The word of faith is nigh thee

Even in thy mouth

The word of faith is nigh thee

Even in thy mouth

The joy of the Lord is my strength

[Verse 3]

He gives me living water

And I thirst no more

He gives me living water

And I thirst no more

He gives me living water

And I thirst no more

The joy of the Lord is my strength

[Verse 4]

Since you have His joy

You may shout with it

Since you have His joy

You may dance with it

Since you have His joy

You may laugh with it

The joy of the Lord is my strength

The joy of the Lord is my strength song is a song of adoration and praise which was written by Alliene Vale. It was based on an inspiration that the author derived from Nehemiah 8:10. Since it was released in 1971, over the years, the song has been a source of encouragement to many and has served to comfort many with a broken heart.

Today, the song is available on many online gospel music stores like Word to Worship and Worship Together. Interestingly, apart from the fact that the song can be listened to online, there is also "The joy of the Lord" mp3 download file on some of these online gospel music stores. This grants you an easy access to the song at all times. And if you wish, you can always download the song to your iPod, smartphone device or any other device.

The joy of the Lord is my strength images

Below are a few images that depict the joy of the Lord which you can share with friends and even download to your smartphone as a source of inspiration always.

Here is another beautiful image which you can use to remind yourself always about the joy that is in the Lord and how it grants strength.

Christian quotes about the joy of the Lord

The following are just a few quotes on the joy of the Lord. You will surely find them worth reading and sharing.

• What I am anxious to see in Christian believers is a beautiful paradox. I want to see in them the joy of finding God while at the same time they are blessedly pursuing Him. I want to see in them enjoy the great joy of having God yet always wanting Him.- A.W. Tozer
• I have not suffered a lot for Christ, but I want to tell you that those times that I have suffered and I knew it was for Jesus, have been some of the happiest times of my entire life. I cannot tell you the indescribable joy that has come into my heart and my life. - Adrian Rogers
• The joy of Christ and the joy of the world cannot consist together. A heart delighted with worldly joy cannot feel the consolations of the Spirit; one of these destroys the other: but in sanctified trouble, the comforts of God's word are felt and perceived in a most sensible manner. - Abraham Wright
• To pursue joy is to lose it. The only way to get it is to follow steadily the path of duty, without thinking of joy, and then, like sheep, it comes most surely unsought, and we "being in the way," the angel of God, bright-haired joy, is sure to meet us. - Alexander MacLaren
• May not a single moment of my life be spent outside the light, love, and joy of God's presence and not a moment without the entire surrender of myself as a vessel for Him to fill with His Spirit and His love. - Andrew Murray
• How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! You drove them from me, You, who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, You who are sweeter than all pleasure. - Augustine
• Foolish talking and jesting are not the ways in which Christian cheerfulness should express itself, but rather "giving of thanks" (Eph. 5:4). Religion is the source of joy and gladness, but its joy is expressed in a religious way, in thanksgiving and praise. - Charles Hodge

So far, you have seen that there is so much about the joy of the Lord. When you have it, you become unstoppable and you also get empowered to achieve greatness. This is because His joy is what reproduces the strength with which you move on in life. Moreover, you have also seen from the pages of the Scripture that when you follow the principles that position you on the platform where you can access this joy, you can also bask in it and then, you will be able to boldly declare to all that, "The joy of the Lord is my strength".

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Source: YEN.com.gh