No Joy, No Strength | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

Our strength lies in possessing the joy of the LORD, the fullness of which is found in His presence (Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:11).  Sadly, many of GOD's people are weak because they look elsewhere for the joy that only GOD can give.  Family and friends, careers and even success can be appreciated for the happiness they bring, but they can in no way substitute for the joy of the LORD.  Just ask people who've attempted suicide; those who, despite their success, feel lonely; or the popular people who always feel drained because they're constantly being taken advantage of.  Simply put: no joy, no strength.

I've heard my pastor say that "JOY" is an acronym for "Jesus," "others" and "yourself."  The strength we receive in GOD's presence is what equips us to be valuable to others first and then to ourselves.  When our lives fail to match this template, it's then that we get all out of sorts and start talking crazily.  As I understand it, people don't take being in GOD's presence seriously because they don't believe they're weak.  But when we're stubborn and can't be told anything, life has a far more effective way of showing us what we refused to hear initially.

Forgive me if this seems insensitive, but it's utterly asinine to hear of Christians committing, or even contemplating, suicide.  We're so caught up in trying to go to Heaven that we'll try to get there at all costs because we believe it's a cure-all for everything that ails or saddens us.  GOD is not interested in taking us out of here so we can escape Earth's sorrows.  He's committed to prospering His people in the midst of it all, so why can't we be committed to doing things GOD's way so He can prosper us?

So my advice, for what it's worth: enJOY Jesus and Jesus alone.  GOD never disappoints us.  He never fails.  He's always there.  We can call Him anytime.  He's faithful.  I could go on and on.  You see, friends, we can APPRECIATE all this other stuff as well as all the people in our lives; but it's wise to restrict our joy to only being found in GOD's presence.  Enjoy Him exclusively and let your enjoyment of Christ radiate outwards to others and ourselves.