What a joy it has been this week to see all the happy faces of friends and families, (although masked) enjoying their three hours of freedom and being able to catch up on some much needed exercise.
No matter what our circumstances, we have the power to choose joy.
In order to do so, we have to develop the habit of focusing on those things that are good and are of most real value in life.
We are told by Nehemiah, a great Old Testament leader, that “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Nehemiah 8:10.
His example of succeeding in rebuilding Jerusalem, in spite of the intimidation and severe opposition, proved that “the joy of the Lord” is a powerful antidote to the “virus” of fear.
It was also the dynamic motivator that gave him the inspiration to accomplish this historic feat.
It is essential for us at this crucial time to choose to refuse to allow all the bad news fed to us by the media, to rob us of our joy.
This way we will have the strength to triumph in the challenging days ahead.
You may ask me, “Are you crazy, do you expect me to have joy at a time like this?” To this I would reply that we are encouraged to take Jesus as our example: “Looking to Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2.
He was focused on His destiny, and the anticipation of His future joys gave Him the strength to endure the horrors of death by torture and crucifixion. Just this week I heard of a believer who was on his deathbed and was asked: “Are you afraid of dying?”
His answer was: “No way! I am not afraid of going to Heaven.” For those who understand Jesus’ promise of the hereafter, even death cannot scare us. There is strong evidence that joy serves as a powerful stimulant to strengthen our immunity.
Conversely the toxic emotion of fear has power to compromise our immune system and can make us more susceptible to disease.
Understanding that it is the “joy of the Lord” that is our strength; it follows that to participate in this joy we need to be intentional about maintaining our intimacy with God, through worship.
Joy is a very clear signpost that God has been very present with the person who has endured life’s most devastating challenges.
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