“For the joy of the Lord is our strength” – Nehemiah 8:10 As the end of time approaches and the world continues to sink in wickedness and iniquity, I think that there is a Christian virtue, forgotten and abandoned for a long time, which will return to the surface of our churches and our lifestyle. I do not talk about love, nor patience, nor peace, but indeed about joy. Oh, the joy …. What a beautiful gift received from our father of lights! The joy of the Lord is powerful; it terrifies the demons of hell, rejoices the angels in the sky and strengthens the believer in moments of trial.  |
“For the joy of the Lord is our strength.” |
In my opinion, in difficult situations, laughing and being joyful are greater acts of faith than to pray and intercede. Why? As in these dark seasons, when our soul is afflicted and our emotions are gloomy, deciding to be in the joy of the Lord is contrary to what we live in that moment. Thus, we command our being to walk in the direction of Jesus: our eternal joy! This heavenly joy, fixed in eternity, is the one which enabled Christ to endure suffering on the cross: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”. (Hebrews 12:2). The enemy has done a “great job” having tried to make the children of God believe that being joyful and happy would be a synonym of immorality and lack of seriousness. However, the bible speaks clearly about the origin of divine joy: the Holy Spirit (see 1. Thessalonians 1:6 and Galatians 5:22). I have never heard about one more holy than the Holy Spirit! Now, if the joy of the Lord is caused directly by the Spirit, wouldn´t it be wise to deepen our communion with him? The holy ones are joyful as the Holy Spirit creates joy in them. |
“Laughing and being joyful are greater acts of faith than to pray and intercede.” |
I would like to encourage you, even if the world and its ways don´t stop sinking in darkness, to come back to the simplicity of the joy of the Lord. This virtue is so powerful that it acts in a beneficial manner on our soul as well as on our body: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”. (Proverbs 17:22)! Paul claims to the Thessalonians, in the first epistle, to “be joyful at all times”. This was not a suggestion but a commandment! Being joyful is a choice. In the world, you rejoice when you are happy. In the kingdom of God, we receive this joy when we decide to rejoice. What about deciding to be joyful today? |
Prayer: Father, thank you for your joy. Fill me up with your Holy Spirit. Help me to laugh and to experience your divine joy. Help me to become like a child. I declare loudly and clearly with a big smile that “the joy of the Lord is my strength”. Amen.
