Liberating Joy
Nehemiah 8:10 - ..... For the joy of the Lord is your strength.
John 15:11 - Jesus said, " These things I have spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
Philippians 4:4 - rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
In these verses the people addressed were all facing hard times. We all need strength to face difficulties in this fallen world. The last enemy we face is death. But we do not need to fear death if we have received Christ into our lives as Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead, to prove that he delivers us from the judgment of a Holy God, and gives us everlasting life in the New Heaven and the New Earth, as members of his family. Life in Christ is not characterized by a crippling fear, but by a liberating joy. Remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength, even in difficulty and sorrow. Weeping may endure for a night , but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)