What Is The Joy of the Lord?
What is the joy of the Lord to a society that seems to take pride in complaining. People think that you are wimpy if you don’t make a complaint about every little offense. That makes for a lot of grumpy and joyless folks. 
Have you ever wondered if the joy of the Lord is my strength, then why am I not more joyful? From the looks on some of our faces, you would never know we have a victorious King who made complete provision for us.
Have we allowed that complaining, whining, and criticizing side of our nature to take over when any little roadblock gets in our way?
If joy is our strength, then, I guess that means we are really weak! Are we acting like we know that Jesus paid the ultimate price to give us victory in every situation?
What Is The Joy of the Lord?
God’s Word
In Nehemiah 8, we get a picture of what is the joy of the Lord. Nehemiah has the people gathered together reading from the book of the law as the Lord had commanded them.
As they did this, the people began to understand the law and it caused them to weep. They really came to know God through what was in His Word.
Nehemiah told them not to be grieved, for the joy of the Lord was their strength. Their response was awesome. They celebrated by eating, drinking, and having a ball! They knew how to make a joyful noise to the Lord.
What is the joy of the Lord when things seems to be stacked against us? Are we stuck with falling into aggravation, sorrow, fear, or disappointment when things don’t go our way?
I believe we must choose to believe that God is operating on our behalf when things look impossibly hopeless, or even terrifying.
We can do this because we have a Heavenly Father we can trust through the promises in His Word. That’s a lot to be joyful about. Isn’t Jesus, Yeshua, the Word who became flesh?
We’ve got to get God’s Word living in us so richly that His Word comes out when we are squeezed by our circumstances. Spend time soaking yourself in scriptures about joy.
God didn’t leave us as orphans, but sent His Holy Spirit to live in us! We have the same power that rose Christ from the dead living in us! How can we do anything but be joyful?
What Is The Joy Of The Lord Scriptures
What is the joy of the Lord? Let’s look at some scripture verses on joy.
I love this scripture on joy found in James 1:2-3 that tells us to:”Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Our response nasty trials should be joy because those trials exercise our faith which leads to endurance. And if we endure in faith and joy, we will lack nothing. If we can stand firm in our joy, we will find victory continually.
Psalm 16:11 tells us that in God’s presence, there is fullness of joy.
Jesus tells us in John 15:11 that when His words abide in us, our joy may be full.
Also, we are told in Galatians 5:22 that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit have His way.
What is the joy of the Lord? I love thinking of Abraham, who believed in God’s promise of being the Father of many nations when he had no son. God told him to look at the stars and believe. He was strengthened to receive his promise.
I wonder what we could see in our own lives, if we would choose joy, instead of complaining, and exercise our faith in trying times.
Choose joy and find great strength in the One who created you, and supplied your every need.
Charleen Ecuyer
P.S. WHAT IS THE JOY OF THE LORD when you are stuck in a current of complaining? Look into these fun celebrations to bring your family into the fullness of God’s joy at the link above.