“The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, NKJV). This verse was spoken to a people who’d just heard God’s law read aloud and wept, some out of conviction, some out of grief over lost years. The response given wasn’t more grief. It was joy.
That’s worth noticing. Joy here isn’t opposed to genuine repentance or sober reflection. It’s named as the actual source of strength needed to move forward from it.
This isn’t shallow, forced cheerfulness. It’s a deep confidence in who God is that produces real strength, even in a moment that could easily have stayed heavy.
As this new month opens, what would it look like to draw actual strength from joy in the Lord, rather than from sheer determination alone?