Your Strength (The Missing Piece Part 2)

The enemy is after your joy because he is also after YOUR STRENGTH!

Nehemiah 8:10

10 Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

If you have no Joy in your walk with Jesus. You really need to examine how you got there. How did you all of a sudden end up with no joy? Chances are, it didn't just happen over night.

Our enemy is on his game. He knows what he is doing. He knows what support system needs to be taken out to cause our entire faith to collapse on it's face and believe me he is always on his job. If you are meeting opposition from the enemy in regards to your joy then take that as a red flag to stand back and make some observations. Really examine your walk for any clues that might give away how you've really been feeling lately.

One of the best ways to tell if something is wrong with your joy is how you act when you are alone and how you act when you are around others. Is there a difference? If you find you've been "acting fake" because you are around someone else then take warning, you are probably losing your joy. If you find you've just left an event where other believers are and you all of a sudden find yourself in a "funk" then know that too could be a warning sign.

Our joy should be constant. It doesn't matter what situation we find ourselves in we should always have our joy in the Lord. It's our strength. It's also what Satan wants to attack the most.

It's been so easy for me to feel like I've lost my joy lately because of all the personal struggles my family and I have gone through with Emily's battle with Infantile Spasms and her seizure disorder. Believe me, I know what it feels like to feel attacked and I know how awful it feels to have to come to the place where you are really questioning if you've lost your joy or not. It's not easy.

But if you allow Satan to steal, kill and destroy your joy then you lose your strength. And when you lose that you start to lose it all.

Here are some ways to maintain and build your joy.

1.) Read The Word.

2.) Pray.

3.) Learn from Biblical messages.

4.) Spend time with godly friends who will encourage you.

I pray that you find your joy renewed each and every day.

Be Blessed,

Joe