Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth! Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; declare His salvation from day to day. Proclaim His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary, Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His Courts. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations. “The Lord reigns! Indeed, the world is established, it shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.” Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all that fills it, let the field be joyful, and all that is in it, then all the trees of the forests shall rejoice before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His faithfulness. [Psalms 100; Psalm 96]
Holy Spirit I know that Nehemiah told his fellow workers that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Help me to begin to understand what the joy of the Lord means to me in my life. Help me to learn a joy that can withstand all the loss I have experienced in my life. A Joy that can stand me through fiery trials and times when friends and family let me down. Let me begin to rejoice in a joy that is greater than all the chaos that is around me. Let me know a joy that will go beyond my logic, my understanding and hold me when I have been beaten and bruised by life and words of others. Let me find a joy that helps me appreciate what I have and for my salvation. Let my joy sustain my hope in all that God has promised and to use it as fuel to conquer all mountains and giants placed in my path. Let this joy feed and water me until I reach heaven and I am in the embrace of Jesus.
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—yes, more than those who watch for the morning. Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. [Psalm 121; Psalms 130:5&6; Psalms 139:10] Give me the joy that will sustain me in life, in Jesus’ name, amen.