--the
joy of the LORD is your strength—
Nehemiah 8:10
Some very interesting facts about castles were gleaned while
studying this concept of joy and strength being joined together. Strength in Nehemiah 8:10 is the Hebrew
word for “a fortified place, “fort” or “fortress”, “rock”, “a most stronghold”,
a “defense”, and comes from another word which means to prevail and be
strong. Strength used here is not
God’s ability given to me, it is a place, and God is that place. Strength is a noun, as in stronghold or
fortress. A stronghold is that in
which a person trusts (good or bad).
A stronghold is a refuge, to be too strong for, to protect, to be kept
safe, to lift high (out of the pit).
When I joy in Him, He becomes my place of refuge and protection. What a comfort! Why
would I ever want to leave my castle? To do so, leaves me fearful and
vulnerable to attack.
Joy is the “how” that God is my Refuge, High Place, and
Strong Tower. Joy is not meant to
be kept inside. Joy is how I can
laugh at my silly mistakes or at a good wholesome joke. Joy is dancing in my heart in God’s
Presence. Joy is how I can lift my
head high in the midst of oppression from persecutors of my faith. Joy is how I can face the pressures and
uncertainties of this life with a radiant countenance. It is OK to smile and praise and laugh
in the safety of my castle.
Lord, how can this be? I don’t want to pretend joy and I don’t
want these descriptions of You to just be words on a page. May I believe Your Word in my
heart. You have given me the
answer in the word “joy”. Joy is
the pinnacle of my faith. As I
call out to You my faith is activated.
When I walk out Truth in my daily activities, I will experience You in
joy as a discipline I choose daily and even moment by
moment. When I choose to praise
You in the storm, no matter what, I will be filled with joy—my strength!
Karen Sims
1 comment:
The title of this devotional definitely caught my attention! We know that we are children of the King but don't always remember that it's up to us whether we choose to live in the protection of the castle or not. Thanks, Karen for this reminder.
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