Secret Strength
If I watch or listen to the news it leaves me with a negative outlook; especially what is happening in Afghanistan and what is happening to our beloved country. In just a year and a half the left has almost successfully damaged everything that is sacred to us. If you focus on these things it will leave you distressed, discouraged, depressed, and in despair. Thankfully there is a remedy. What I am about to share is a remedy that can radically alter your life.
The truth behind this radical transformation is found in Nehemiah 8:10—The joy of the LORD is your strength. Now before you stop reading and thinking that you may have heard all that can be possibly said about this verse, I would propose that this verse doesn’t mean what you may think it means. I thought I knew but what I learned yesterday has rocked my world!
First, allow me to digress. It all started when I went to visit this new doctor who uses alternative methods to bring healing. My symptoms were primarily a loss of strength. After being sick for four months I have not recovered me strength, now six months later—and it’s so frustrating. I’m usually indefatigable and pretty strong but since being sick for so long (probably Covid related), my strength never rebounded. I don’t usually go in the direction of alternative medicine unless I’ve been able to study it and it makes sense. Anyway, I shared my symptoms to this new doctor and for the next 45 minutes he shared Scripture with me. Now that was very impressive but after 45 minutes I stopped him and said, “Ok, I love hearing Scripture but what are you going to do to heal my broken body and help me get my strength back?!” He replied, “That is what I’m doing!” He then quoted all of 2 Corinthians 4 (I won’t copy and paste the chapter here but you might want to read it) and then Joel 3:10 “Let the weak say I am strong.” and finally the last part of of Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Are you starting to see where he was going? He was pointing me to the source of strength. And not only to the source, but to how this strength could be accessed. I’m going to quote this verse again but please read it carefully this time. Consider who is the focus of the joy: “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” It is the LORD’s joy that is the focus, not our joy! I have misunderstood this verse for 43 years!!! As I listened more intently do this doctor, he looked at me and said, “Your strength will be replenished when God’s joy over you is restored!” He got my attention. My entire posture changed. I was more alert. I was focused. “More…give me more!” I was on high alert for the next thirty minutes. Wow…my strength will be replenished when God’s joy is restored over me. I know his banner over me is love but I didn’t realize that the joy of the LORD was/is my strength. Now that’s a game changer!
Where does God’s joy come from? It was right there in front of my eyes. In Matthew 25:15-23 we read, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou gave to me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou gave to me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
God is joyful when he sees his children being good and faithful, especially as they give back a return on His investment in them. As a result, we get stronger!
In Zephaniah 3:17 we read, “The LORD your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will quiet you by his love, he will joy over thee with triumphal singing. Fear not…let not your hands grow weak.”
Friends, there is a great work before us. This is not a time for our hands to grow weak and certainly not a time to retreat. Yes, the world is in great turmoil; the LORD will be returning soon and there is no time to lose. It is time to move forward with everything we have…with everything we have been blessed with…let’s give of ourselves like we’ve never given before and use our new strength to bring even more joy to our great and amazing God!
