It was one of those mornings. I dragged myself from the bed after another night of insomnia. My heart grieved as my mind replayed scenarios of an ongoing argument between our team and national workers. I dreaded facing another round of accusations and name-calling among Christian brothers and sisters. I couldn't shake the constant weariness that had settled in my bones. 

My husband passed me in the hallway, and I, out of habit, asked how he'd slept and felt this morning. Grinning ear to ear, he told me that the song "The Joy of the Lord is My Strength" began playing in his mind from the moment he woke up. He declared, "Today, I choose joy! I won't let others rob me of the joy of the Lord." He left the house with that song on his lips. 

My mouth curved in a smile as I pondered my husband's words. A little wooden sign in my kitchen reminds me to "Choose joy." But today, I was struck by the revelation that the joy of the Lord is my strength. 

The words to this song come from Nehemiah 8:10, which ends with the statement, "Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah's words reminded the Israelites that the joy of the Lord was not dependent on their circumstances but on the Lord. 

So often, we equate happiness and joy, but they are very different. Happiness is an outward expression, a feeling that can quickly pivot from happiness to sadness. But joy is an entirely different creature. Joy is constant and can exist side by side with sorrow. True joy comes from God. 

The joy of the Lord is a source of strength that comes from trusting in God's goodness and grace. It relies on God's promise in Romans 8:28 that He will work all things together for our good. We must take hold of joy in all circumstances, whether good or bad, for then we will find strength in the Lord. 

Remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength!