A Reflection On Joy

When I want to rejoice in God’s sovereignty

Have you ever wept over your failures? It’s a humbling experience to pour out your heart over grievous sins that can’t be undone. The human heart never feels weaker than when it is faced with its undeniable shortcomings. But believe it or not, that’s a great place to be. It is a blessed frailty to have no claim before God, no words with which to justify ourselves, no bargaining power whatsoever. When we can accept that, we can accept His provision; and there is no greater joy than His provision. It is all we need. We can lay down our stressful, painful attempts at self-sufficiency, and we can accept His sufficiency instead. What greater joy is there than to realize it all falls on His shoulders and not on ours?

Do you know God’s joy? The joyless Christian is bearing burdens no human is capable of bearing. The joyful Christian has come to grips with personal weakness and accepted God’s strength by casting all burdens on Him. Learn the art of casting those burdens; be joyful and be strong.

Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!

Nehemiah 8:10