What Does "The Joy of the Lord is My Strength" Mean?

ave you ever wondered why it seems some people are happier than others? It is because some people have learned to be happy through God by allowing His Word to be confirmed in their hearts. Today, we will unpack one of the most popular bible verses to learn how we can live a life full of joy.

What is the Joy of the Lord?

What does the Bible mean by "joy of the Lord?" What is joy? Is it getting what you want? Is it a feeling? Does it depend on circumstances?

The Bible says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." With that in mind, we can understand why Scripture also says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say again, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).

These passages seem to contradict each other. How can we rejoice when life is hard and painful? And how can joy be our strength when we are weak and frail? The answer lies in understanding what the Bible means by joy. Joy is not just a feeling; it's a choice. When you choose to rejoice in God rather than in your circumstances, you experience God’s joy.

It is easy to get depressed and discouraged when we are going through hard times. But the Bible tells us that we can have joy even when life is difficult, and teaches us that we don’t have to stay in depressed. This was certainly true in the life of a man named Nehemiah.

In the Bible, we read about how Nehemiah served as a cupbearer for the king of Persia. The king's name was Artaxerxes, which means "the great protector." (Esther 1:7) Nehemiah had a very important position in the royal court, but he wanted to do more for God than he did just carrying the king's drink. So he asked for permission to lead a group of Jews back to Jerusalem after they had been taken as captives by enemies many years earlier. He also wanted to rebuild Jerusalem's ruined walls and gates.

Nehemiah faced many obstacles on his journey home and while rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. Enemies threatened him, false friends tried to influence him, and hardships were many. (See Nehemiah 2:1–6.) Yet Nehemiah did not let any of these things discourage him or make him lose heart. Like Ezra the scribe, he knew what it meant to have joy in Jehovah God despite difficult circumstances,

Finding Strength through Joy

When you choose to rejoice in God rather than in your circumstances, you experience true joy. And with that joy comes strength. Strength to face the challenges of life, strength to serve God and others, and strength to obey His Word. It's not easy to trust God during difficult times, but choosing to rejoice gives you the strength you need to get through them with joy.

In fact, joy is the most common emotion in the Bible, appearing over 100 times in the Old and New Testaments. It's not a feeling you have; it's an action you do. It's something we choose to do. In fact, the Bible says that we choose joy when we choose to rejoice in God rather than in our circumstances (see Romans 12:12).

Rejoicing in God means that we are happy about what he has done for us through Jesus Christ — even though we still face troubles and trials in this world. In fact, true joy actually comes from knowing that no matter what happens, God is still good, kind and loving. We can trust that he will work everything out for our good and his glory if we put our faith and hope in him (see Romans 8:28).

How to Live in the Joy of the Lord

When someone says, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," they are saying that God's Word is their help and support through the Holy Spirit.

This verse is from Psalm 27:14 in the Bible. When David said this, he was running away from his enemies. In fact, he had just been running for his life.

David knew that God would help him when he needed it. He trusted God to help him during hard times just as much as he trusted him during good times.

The Bible tells us that we can have hope through tough times because God never leaves us or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). Even when the path of life seems hard, we have a source of strength that will help us. And that source can be found in God's Word.

When you are feeling down, you can turn to God's Word to get the strength you need to keep going. Remembering what the Bible says about you will bring comfort and give you hope for a better future. That strength will carry you through any hard time you may face.

Live Everyday, Joyfully

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed.” (Psalms 28:7-8)

It's easy to get caught up in the distractions and busyness of life, but when you do, it can be difficult to find joy. Temptation is always present, and God calls on us to fight against it. How? By spending time with Him each day.

"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This verse doesn't mean we're to pray for hours on end throughout the day—it means we should always be mindful of God and His presence in our lives. We do this by spending time reading the Bible, praying and meditating on its truths.

We can also find joy by serving others. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).

Spending time with God and serving others will help you experience true happiness and contentment in your life—both now and for eternity.