Joy Cometh
Many believers drag around in defeat day after day, month after month, year after year. You’ve heard them. They sound something like this: “I just can’t figure it out. I believe the Bible. I believe Jesus has set me free from this sickness. I believe He has set me free from this sin…I believe He has set me free from this lifestyle of lack. But I still can’t get the victory.”
The problem is, those people are too spiritually weak to receive what Jesus has given them. They need a tonic that will put some muscle back in their believing. They need something to put a sparkle in their eye, a spring in their step, and give them the spiritual might they need to knock the devil in the head and take back what belongs to them.
And that’s exactly what the joy of the Lord will do. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is our strength. That verse is literally true. To understand why, you must realize that joy is not happiness. Happiness is a fleeting, temporal condition that depends on the comfort of your flesh. Joy, on the other hand, is a vital spiritual force. It is not based on outward circumstances, but upon the condition of your heart.
Happiness is wimpy. It disappears every time there’s trouble. But joy is tough. If you’ll let it, it will keep flowing in the midst of the most miserable situation. It will enable you to stand as solid as a stump until the time of trouble is over.
I realize if you’re sitting there right now in the midst of trouble, you probably feel like it will never be over. But, believe me, it will! “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
If you are a person of faith, it doesn’t matter how dark conditions may seem to be right now, you can rest assured, a brighter day is on the way. That’s because the devil cannot sustain an attack. He doesn’t have the power. So if you’ll let the force of joy keep you strong, you will outlast him and he’ll eventually have to give up and admit defeat!
Remember, the Word promises that joy cometh! And joy is your strength. It’s tough. It will enable you to overcome…and it’s inside of you. Yield to it and your trouble will be over soon enough.
Speak the Word
« The joy of the Lord is my strength. Joy comes to me! » (Nehemiah 8:10)
Scripture Study: Psalm 30
© 1991 Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc. aka: Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.
© 1997 Shalom-Verlag. Autorisierte Übersetzung der englischen Ausgabe. Diese Übersetzung wird veröffentlicht und verkauft mit Erlaubnis von Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc./Kenneth Copeland Ministries, dem Inhaber aller Rechte zur Veröffentlichung und zum Verkauf dieses Werkes.