The joy of the Lord is my strength

It came to me this morning as I was meditating on this verse from Nehemiah 8:10, that we have to war for our joy. As with love, joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but also as with love, it is commanded. Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice Philippians 4: 4.

The analogy of joy being fruit, reminds us that fruit comes as the tree is rooted and grounded in good soil, and watered (John 15:5). But how do we rejoice in the midst of trials (James 1:2)? Again the process has to do with abiding in him, in setting our hearts to be offence proof. I have this picture of joy just waiting to bubble up within us, but we have to let it. And what that means is that we constantly need to choose to deny the negative, and to choose the positive. Whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are of good report, we need to think upon these things (Philippians 4:7).

I just returned from a prophetic conference in Toronto, and one of the words that were spoken over me, was that there is joy stored up for me, and also that joy comes in the morning. As he does so often, the Lord underlined this last verse for me from Psalm 30:5. He had given this to me years ago at a moment of crisis. He was renewing his promise.

Father, thank You that it is Your good pleasure to give us joy. Lord help me to do my part in waring for this joy. You have promised joy, it belongs to me. I will have it, it’s my inheritance. I declare that Joy is coming, and I receive it, in Jesus Name Amen