Choosing Joy

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”     Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

I have not been feeling very strong of late – weak and weary, yes, but not strong.  I also have not been feeling all that joyful.  I have been discouraged, frustrated, disappointed, depressed even, but I have not been experiencing much joy.  As the Lord pointed out to me a few weeks ago through my pastor, there is a strong correlation between joy and strength.  It is no wonder that I am weak and weary when I am failing to walk in joy!

Like many, I often muddy the lines between happiness and joy.  The words are often used interchangeably, but they are two distinctive conditions.  Happiness is “dependent on” while joy comes “in the midst of” or “in spite of.” 

Happiness is, in fact, a feeling.  We experience happiness based on circumstances and events and occasions.  “Happy birthday!”  “Happy anniversary!”  “Happy holidays!”  “Happy Friday!”  These are not just friendly acknowledgements of special days.  The idea is that these special occasions should (and most often do) produce in us good feelings based on memories, circumstances, gifts, and celebrations.  Happiness feels good. 

But happiness is fleeting.

The celebration ends.  The guests leave.  The weekend is over.  The Christmas tree comes down.  And the aftermath often feels like a letdown.  That good feeling is gone, and reality sets back in.  Life can weigh heavily and happy feelings wane.

But joy – joy is different.  It’s deeper.  And it is so much more than just a good feeling.  But its absence is not simply a bad feeling.  Sadness is not the opposite of joy.  I think perhaps weariness or emptiness would be a more apt description. 

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”  I’ve heard this phrase (and variations of it) a lot.  It’s a common theme in Christian music, particularly in songs of praise and worship.  But when I searched the Scriptures for the phrase, I was surprised at its origins…

Nehemiah was talking to the Jews who had returned to Israel following the Babylonian exile.  The people were gathered to hear the reading of the Law, and their response to what they heard was both worship (v.6) and weeping (v.9).  While certainly the people had reason to weep, recognizing how they had failed at keeping the Lord’s commandments, this day was intended to be a day of celebration.  It was a day to remember the goodness of God. 

And so, the people had a decision to make.  They could continue to weep, or they could celebrate.  

It was apparently as simple as making a choice. 

And they chose to feast and to celebrate.  As they continued their celebration in the days that followed, the people sent leaders to continue to study the Law.  These leaders found instructions for celebrating the festivals God had commanded, and so the initial celebration led to another celebration, then another assembly, and ultimately to a renewed commitment to follow the Lord.

And so if, in fact, the joy of the Lord is the source of strength, then the answer to weariness must be, quite simply, joy.  And if joy is a choice, why have I been choosing to stay stuck and tired?  

So, in the pattern of the returning exiles, it is time to remember the goodness of God.  The God who walked with us through 2020 also stayed with us through 2021 and 2022.  And though these have been some crazy and often difficult years, the Lord has not abandoned us.

Could it be that in 2023, the renewed sense of hope and strength we are craving will be found in simply allowing ourselves to choose to experience joy?  Sure, we’ve been through some rough years.  Definitely, I have not walked in faith through all of the “stuff” that has come my way.  I have worried and stressed and been irritated and angry and afraid and all kinds of things that come with faithlessness.  But I’m tired of being tired! 

I don’t have to continue feeling weak and defeated when I’ve been given access to the Source of strength.  And neither do you.

Remember the goodness of God.  When worry comes knocking, let faith answer the door.  With gratitude and worship, 2023 could be the year that weariness gives way to joy.

…Just a thought…

Following in Abraham's Footsteps...

And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.     Genesis 15:6 NLT

For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”     Romans 4:3 NLT

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”     Galatians 3:6 NLT

And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.     James 2:23 NLT

The stories of Abraham are encouraging me in this new year. As I have been reading through Genesis, I have taken a fresh look at Abraham’s life, and it’s very different from what I have traditionally thought about the Jewish patriarch.  And while the things I’m noticing in Abraham’s story are not necessarily what I would consider “good,” the stories give me hope.

Abraham, on multiple occasions in his life, gave up waiting on God and took matters into his own hands.  But the Scriptures say that he “believed God.”  Abraham is recorded as having lied on multiple occasions.  And yet the Bible calls him “righteous.”

As an imperfect human floundering in the crazy, mixed-up world of 2023, I find this incredibly encouraging.

For months I’ve been struggling to get much writing done. I’ve been struggling to get much of anything done, really.  My life has basically come down to work, eat, sleep, repeat.  That’s it. I’ve been weary and discouraged, and honestly pretty grumpy much of the time.  Life hasn’t been going according to my hopes and dreams, and while I’ve continued to go through the motions of my long-held spiritual disciplines (church attendance, daily reading of Scripture, Bible study and devotional reading), I’ve been feeling a little lost lately.

Lost and unqualified.

Which is what I can imagine Abraham must have felt like at times. He had gone where God told him to go, but he was just kind of wandering around.  Then there was famine where Abraham was living, so he went to Egypt to find food.  And when he got there, he lied about his wife’s identity.  In spite of this, God protected and even blessed Abraham.

Even as God was making promises to Abraham, Abraham was doubting God (see Genesis 15:1-3).  And yet, in the same conversation where Abraham expressed unbelief, Scripture says that “he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

What?!

The unbelieving doubter suddenly - and temporarily - believed God and was called righteous!  In the very next chapter of Genesis, we find Abraham trying to fulfil God's promise on his own terms and in his own timing instead of waiting and trusting God.

I get it. absolutely.  Waiting is hard!

For me, there's always a struggle to balance believing with working.  Because I don't know how God's planning to do what He's going to do, I feel compelled to figure it out.  I'm ready to do my part!  But when my part is just to wait, I'm not good at that.  

A big part of that is that I'm not always sure if what I think God is saying is really what He's saying.  God came to Abraham in visions and dreams and sent angels with specific details of His plan.  God appeared to Abraham (Genesis 12:7, 17:1) and spoke very clear instructions to him.  I'm not having visions and dreams and visits from angels.  I'm reading the Word, which is very specific on some things but not so much on matters like, "Should I keep working at this job?" or, "What's next?"  I pray, but I'm not getting the kind of audible answers it seems Abraham received.

And I know that I struggle with uncertainty (which is basically just unbelief).  I have quite the collection of unfinished essays, posts, articles, and books that I've deemed myself unqualified to write.  I have believed that to be used effectively by God, I needed a stronger faith and less doubt.  But as I look at Abraham's life through fresh eyes, I am seeing that there may yet be hope for God to use even someone like me.

Maybe you can relate.  If you've ever been impatient with God as I have, trying to work out His plans in your own time and way, it would seem that we are in good company.  

Throughout Scripture, we find the Creator of the universe identifying Himself as "the God of Abraham." How awesome is that?!  God did not abandon or forsake or disqualify Abraham for all of the times he lied and doubted and tried to control his own destiny.  Instead, He continued to care for Abraham, leading him, speaking to him, and fulfilling His promises.

So today, let's walk in the encouragement that our God is with us, and He is working out His plans.  Our missteps and impatience may yield unfortunate consequences for us, but they do not disqualify us, nor will they stop His purposes from being accomplished in our lives.

..Just a thought...

He Is FOR Me

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?          Romans 8:31-32

There's a storm brewing around me.  Literally.  I'm sitting here in Florida in the middle of Tropical Storm Nicole.  

I'm not sure how long it's been raining.  It was raining when I woke up.  It was pouring when I finally gave up and took the dog out.  Now I can't seem to escape that damp feeling.

The wind has actually been blowing for a couple of days. Every now and then, there's a gust that shakes the house.  When the direction of the wind changes, there's a little whistle or groan, where, I suppose, the house is not entirely airtight.  I can hear and feel the bikes rattle and shake on the rack where we secured them.

Right outside my window, there's a squirrel sitting on the little nub where a tree limb used to be.  The wind is blowing.  The rain is falling.  He's just sitting there getting wet and windblown.  (Of course, the moment I went to take a picture of him, he moved.)

So frankly, as the storm is raging around me, a storm is raging within me as well.  That's pretty much my "default," if I'm honest.  There is a constant collection of ideas, issues, concerns, feelings, and dreams that swirl around within me, much like a hurricane or tropical storm.  While I long to be like the little squirrel - oblivious to the winds and rain - I feel more like a child's toy boat set afloat on ocean waves. (This analogy seems to be a constant in my life, hence the title of my book, Safely into the Harbor...)

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Now here I am, the day after the storm, trying to regain some bit of focus and finish what I've begun.  Therein is the heart of my struggle.  I have so many ideas, yet I feel that I accomplish so little.  I am highly distractable, often preoccupied, and generally just mentally and emotionally weary.  When I sit down to write - which is the thing I feel most called to do - words evade me.  It is a frustrating and discouraging circumstance.  

And so that is what I find myself writing about.

I was listening to a podcast yesterday from a speaker who I find very relatable.  She often addresses the very struggles that I find myself dealing with. Unfortunately, she comes at it from a very different worldview.  I find myself thinking how great it would be if she came to Christ and added a biblical context to her platform...  

Because I know that true transformation comes from God alone.

Still, as she spoke to the topic of holding onto and pursuing dreams, and as she commented on how we tend to be our own worst enemies, her words struck a chord with me.  And I was reminded of Romans 8:31.

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And now, here I am - same story, new year.

I logged in to create a new post, but I paused to see the last post I’d left unfinished.  The sentiment continues, so I thought I’d just start today’s writing by finishing last year’s…

I was talking with a young man at work this week about how, until my current job, I’ve always felt I was my own worst critic.  In my current position, however, there seem to be an abundance of critics, one of whom has taken over the job of being my worst critic.  It’s weird and frustrating and incredibly discouraging from day to day.  I’ve written more than one resignation letter already, and the day is soon coming when I may actually send one of them through, lol.  As a lifelong overachiever, it’s really strange to be in a position where even basic success seems so elusive.

But my God is for me! 

Why does it matter so much to me that someone else seems to be against me? And why am I so often against myself?  Do I honestly think that I or anyone else has an opinion of me that matters more than that of my Creator?

So, as I begin this new week - already the second week in a new year - I'm setting this simple goal of keeping Romans 8:31 in the forefront of my mind.  

Criticism will most definitely be a part of this week.  Some of it is already coming from within myself this morning, as I am thinking about all the things I could and should be doing.  More will come in the hours I will go to my job this week - that's a certainty. 

And so, as I face the inevitable, I want to remember the unchangeable.  My God is for me.  And if my God is for me, no one - not even me - can stop Him. He gave up His Son for me!  He's already done the big thing.  It's time I got better at trusting Him in the little things!

Though it took me months to articulate it, today's thought is a simple one.  God is for us. He is for you.  He is for me. If we can come to understand this simple fact, facing the challenges of life might just feel a little less daunting.

...Just a thought...