1 Thessalonians 1:6
“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.”
Last time the amazing quality of joy was addressed. How it’s meant to be the ever present source of warmth within. The fact that worry diminishes it was also addressed. Today we are going to see how joy is to be our strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, “… the joy of The Lord is your strength.” Psalm 23:5 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for though art with me.” Part of the way we sense His presence is through His joy. We can walk through frightful valleys and have his joy glowing within.
Last time we saw that worry diminishes joy. The frightful valley has plenty to worry about. Our God is bigger. It doesn’t mean we’re ignorant of the challenges. We do our part to remedy the mess. But in all of it, we commit it to Him and ask for His blessing.
Joy brings healing to a broken spirt. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Some are so worried that it makes them sick in spirit and sometimes sick in body. As we focus on God, He promises to help us.
The gravitational pull of our problems and worries can drag us down. Worry constantly calculates resolutions, even though we’ve done that for hours, days and weeks. This is not trusting God.
He wants us to “cast our cares upon Him”, 1 Peter 5:7. Doing so gives us a break from our problems. It’s then we can sense His joy. It never left, we were too busy with worries and tasks. That joy brings healing, like medicine. It infuses us with hope, if we choose to trust Him.
Lord, thanks for the healing hopeful aspects of Your joy. Help us to trust You more, so we can experience it more.