Well, Christmas and New Years are a thing of the past. I hope yours was as full of joy as mine was.
This season really got me thinking about the Joy of the Lord and how the Bible says it’s our strength. Ever wonder why our own joy isn’t mentioned as our strength? My celebration of the happiest time of the year, while very joyful, kept intersecting with sadness.
Let me explain. My mom passed away last New Year’s Eve so this was our first Christmas without her. Over the holidays two of my distant relatives passed away, just as my mom had around Christmas time. In our community, we lost several young people to tragedies. To be honest, my joy was short-lived and overshadowed by a fallen world and its consequences.
All this really brought into focus was how fleeting and insecure my joy is and why I need to make the Lord’s Joy my strength. Knowing His love and being in His will gives Him joy and that in turn strengthens me in this fallen world.
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