By Amy Peterson, River of Life Church
The Merriam-Webster definition of joy is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.
But did you know that joy can be used as a weapon or a place to hide? In Nehemiah 8:10 it says, “And don’t be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
In these terms, Joy has a very different meaning than what the Merriam-Webster definition states. In these terms, you can experience joy regardless of what is happening to you or around you. All hell can be breaking loose but you can still be experiencing joy because the joy of the Lord is not a feeling. Joy is not a reaction to what is happening in your life. Joy is a decision.
God gives us tools or weapons that don’t always make sense at first. Let me explain. There is a story in 2 Chronicles 20 about a king named Jehoshaphat. He had an enemy who threatened to invade and kill everyone in his kingdom. King Jehoshaphat was a godly king. He prayed, asking God what he should do. God told him to trust Him. God told him to march out before the enemy but to put worshippers before the army. Again, something that doesn’t make any sense unless you know how good our God is.
In 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, it says, “As they went out before the army, they were singing: ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever.’ The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.”
King Jehoshaphat’s army didn’t even have to fight. The Lord fought for them. When you know the promises of God and how good our God is, you can have joy even when everything may be falling apart. You can trust that God is going to take care of you if you are obedient to His Word.
I would like to share this poem with you that my daughter, Kaeli Peterson, wrote.
JOY
It is not as graceful as we had hoped.
It is not easy. delicate. simple.
It is not warm coffee on a Sunday morning.
It is not clean sheets. Stained glass windows. Sunlight on tired skin.
No.
It is war.
It is bloody knuckles. Sweat on the brow. It is salt in the wound.
The blistered hands you hold your weapon with.
It is the weapon all together.
It is the shield you hold on high in the storm.
It is the strong pillars. A hurricane.
This is your battle cry.
This is a choice that lasts a lifetime, but one you must keep choosing.
That no matter how much they take, and take, and take,
You will still be overflowing.
This is breath in bruised lungs.
This is your banner. Defend it.
Joy is your strength. Use it.
And strength so freely given. Take it.
We would love to meet you personally. Please join us at 10:30am on Sunday mornings or 7:00pm on Wednesday evenings at River of Life Church located at 410 E. Chapman Rd., Lutz. For more information, please visit www.roltampa.org.
Forget the former things;
do NOT dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!!!
NOW it springs up;
do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Isa. 43:18-19
Amy Peterson
Office Manager
River of Life Church
410 E. Chapman Rd.
Lutz, FL 33549
813-949-9931