The Joy of the Lord

THE JOY OF THE LORD (Noh. 8:10).

In the fast part of Neh. 8:10, we read as follows, “The joy of the Lord is your strength’. Let us see if we can understand what the joy of the Lord in reality means; and whether we can receive this joy of the Lord along with the usual great strength that accompanies it.

When a sinner receives the forgiveness of his sins by being washed In the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, he receives a peculiar heavenly joy. This precisely is the joy of the Lord we are talking about.

This joy multiplies when one tives his fife for the glory and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ. When once we receive this jay it can be increasingly experienced by usday by day. In the same Seripture portion given above, it is written, “Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared’. In other words the heavenly joy which a saved person experiences can be passed onto people who are in sorrow and are deprived of this heavenly joy. This means that the heavenly joy received by one can be shared with other people also, that is, people who are in sorrow and who are without such a joy.

This joy of the Lord also gives victory over every sin and temptation. From the Scripture verse given above we see that this joy is heavenly. —

Let us consider the different characteristics of this Joy and how this great joy can be received and enjoyed by all people.