Joy

During our corporate prayer service last night we prayed to release joy. We've done that multiple times. I think it's great. We have to understand that joy and happiness are not the same thing and that we can have joy in any circumstance. My thoughts went to a revelation I got several years ago concerning joy. Everyone quotes that portion of Nehemiah 8:10 where it says, "the joy of the Lord is your strength." Then they think that if I can manage to stir up some joy in myself it will make me strong. My thought was to look at it differently. It's the Lord's joy. Not mine. What brings God joy? It's that connection with us. What He's wanted from the very beginning. You see, earlier in that chapter the people had found the written law as they were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra stood up where they could all see him and read it. They wept. They knew they had been missing something that was being restored. God told them not to be sorry, but go and have a party. That's what brought Him joy. The connection. It was the same with Jesus. In Hebrews 12:2 it said He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him. That's us. Our connection. Next time you're looking for strength, don't think that if you can stir up this feeling inside you that you might find it. Look to your creator. It's in the connection.