In the book of Nehemiah chapter 8 and verses 9 and 10 the Word of God declares:

v. 9"And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. v. 10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your Strength."

In 444 B.C., Nehemiah went from Babylon to Jerusalem as civil governor after receiving authority from Artaxerxes, king of Persia, to rebuild the wall of the city. When Nehemiah heard the news of the deplorable condition of the city and its inhabitants, he wept, mourned and fasted before God. He spent four months in prayer before petitioning the king to let him go to Jerusalem to rebuild it as fortified city again. The Jews at Jerusalem had been there for almost a hundred years and had made little progress in restoring the city from the plunder and destruction it had suffered in years passed. Nehemiah went to Jerusalem with a divine strategy and with godly determination, not allowing the false prophets, the false accusers or the mockers of his work to stop him or discourage him from his endeavor. In fifty-two days, the wall was finished. When we come to this passage of scripture, we find that the book of the law of Moses was being read publicly from morning till noonday.

After overcoming much opposition, the people were exhorted and encouraged in the Lord with the previous words, not to be sorry for the joy of the Lord was their strength. The word joy means rejoicing, gladness, which comes from a root word that means to rejoice, make glad, be joined. The word strength comes from a Hebrew word that means a fortified place, a defense, fort, fortress, rock strength, strengthen, stronghold. This word strength comes from a root word that means to prevail, be strong.

It is exciting to comprehend what the Spirit of God was trying to get across to His people. The Spirit was telling them that they did not have to weep or mourn anymore because it was made very clear and evident that when they made the decision to walk in agreement with GodÕs plan for the city of Jerusalem, they had joined themselves to Him, which was as good as becoming one with Him. Because of this walk of agreement, the Lord had become for them a fortified place where they could find refuge and shelter from their adversaries and the strength to fight them back and overcome them through His divine wisdom and protection. By joining God he became to them the Rock on which they could build, their hiding place, their place of rest from their works, and the strength necessary to prevail against their foes.

In Proverbs 18:10 the word of God says, " The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." It is of great comfort and consolation to know that we can always come to the Lord and find in Him that place of retreat and refreshment where we can regain our confidence and strength because we can become totally dependant on Him: not a thought without Him, not a step without Him.

In Psalms 16 and verse 11 the Bible reads, " Thou will shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." The word presence means to turn, to face. King David understood that by paying attention to GodÕs counsel and obeying His instructions and precepts, he could always be filled to satisfaction in that which caused God to rejoice on his own personal life of obedience. The exceeding joy that his obedience produced in GodÕs heart, was the same joy that would carry him through any circumstance. GodÕs joy over DavidÕs heart would in turn become DavidÕs own personal overflowing fountain of joy, his own "elixir" of strength.

As part of our new nature in Christ we have received in our spiritual genetic code, so to speak, joy. In the book of Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22 we find that one of the traits that makes the fruit of the "spirit"- our born again spirit - is joy. In John 15: 4 the Lord proclaims, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." The word abide means to stay in a given place, relation or expectancy. It means also to continue, to dwell, to remain. I know through science, farmers and horticulturists understand this very well, that if you cut a branch of a certain variety of apples, you can then graft or implant that branch into another variety of apples, with the result that you end up with two kinds of apples in one single tree. The genetic code for the branch engrafted does not change because it was joined to a tree with a code for a different variety of apples.

As new creatures in Christ, we are the branches engrafted into Christ. As long as we remain in that place of relationship with Him, we can bear through his life the fruit that He so desires to be manifested in our lives in abundance. Joy is part of our born again make up; it is part of the fruit of our born again spirit. The crop of this spiritual seed is not subject to rainy or dry seasons, nor does it depend on moon phases, public votes or polls, but to our personal relationship with Him. Because our joy in Him is not under the control of the circumstances around us or the swinging moods of those we come in contact with, we can walk in such joy anytime, anywhere.

Yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength as long as we remain in that place of fellowship and relation with the Father that Jesus Christ purchased for us with His own blood.

Finally in John chapter 15 and verse 11 the Lord proclaims, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that you joy might be full."

Victor