God-Driven Joy Is Our Strength | International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

God-Driven Joy Is Our Strength | International Fellowship of Christians and Jews: God-Driven Joy Is Our Strength Yael Eckstein  |  January 25, 2023 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10 Today, I continue with a new devotional series on joy, simcha — the joy found in the grateful acceptance and celebration of each day God has given to us. Join me as we explore teachings on the joy found in connecting with God and with others. A friend of mine recently went skydiving. As he described the ordeal of going up in the plane, getting ready for the jump, and then actually taking the plunge, I felt my own heart racing just imagining the scenario. And then he said something that really resonated with me. He said, “I was only able to enjoy the ride because I knew that an experienced instructor was on my back. If I had to rely on myself to make the jump successful, I would have been too terrified to enjoy it. But knowing that someone who knew what he was doing was with me allowed it to be the best experience of my life.” What my friend said about his instructor and skydiving reminded me of God’s 

God-Driven Joy Is Our Strength

Yael Eckstein  |  January 25, 2023

Yael Eckstein smiling & holding elderly disabled woman named Lydia

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

Today, I continue with a new devotional series on joy, simcha — the joy found in the grateful acceptance and celebration of each day God has given to us. Join me as we explore teachings on the joy found in connecting with God and with others.

A friend of mine recently went skydiving. As he described the ordeal of going up in the plane, getting ready for the jump, and then actually taking the plunge, I felt my own heart racing just imagining the scenario. And then he said something that really resonated with me.

He said, “I was only able to enjoy the ride because I knew that an experienced instructor was on my back. If I had to rely on myself to make the jump successful, I would have been too terrified to enjoy it. But knowing that someone who knew what he was doing was with me allowed it to be the best experience of my life.”

What my friend said about his instructor and skydiving reminded me of God’s presence in my life. How do we find joy in God? When we know that God literally has our back and is right beside us, taking care of us at all times, so we can sit back and enjoy the ride.

Even when life seems difficult or scary, we know that a power greater than us is pulling the strings so that everything works out just right. This not only gives us joy, but also strength, so we can face difficulties with confidence and peace.

God-Driven Joy Is Our Strength

We see this lesson in the words of a verse from the Book of Nehemiah: “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’”

Think about that. “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” What a powerful message!

Really, there are two ideas here. The first is that we can find joy in being connected to God in faith. The second is that this God-driven joy is also a source of strength. Like my skydiving friend, when we fully trust God, we can find joy even when life makes us feel like we’re falling out of an airplane!

Your Turn:

Real faith — and therefore real joy — means we know that God is good, and that He is in charge. Next time you feel yourself getting down, remember that the Creator of the world is right there working everything out for our greatest possible good. Let that be your strength and joy!

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