"The joy of the Lord is my strength" Neh. 8:10

 What do you think of God? Do you see him as a stern taskmaster? A silent, far away omnipotent being? Or perhaps Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee and walks with us?

 We know lots about the character of God - he is awesome and mighty, all powerful, all knowing, everywhere. God is holy and just. And of course, God is loving.

 But how many times do we think about the fact that God has the most amazing existence? If you like tropical fish, for example, and have a tank, you could probably watch those beautiful multicolored fish swim for hours. Well, God can watch ALL the fish in the whole world! God can look down from the highest mountain top, he can see things no person has ever seen. His creation is good. He knows about the swirling galaxies and Nebulas, because he can see them in a way that we will never see them. And he loves us, and created us in his image.

 I imagine, that God is full of joy. Wouldn't you be full of joy, if you could witness all the splendors of the universe any time you wanted? Wouldn't you be full of joy if you saw your work of spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God being carried out step by step according to his plan?

 Jesus was also joyful. He would never allow us to think of his Father who fills the universe as a morose and miserable monarch, a frustrated and petty parent or a policeman on the prowl.

In John 15:11 Jesus said, "I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."

 That is our inheritance. Christ wants us to love one another, to keep his commands and love one another. But we get side tracked and bogged down. Sometimes the things that tie us down are very real and valid - a sickness, a job loss, a marriage in trouble. How do we cope with these real things, and walk in the joy of the Lord? I know I sometimes struggle and lose my joy. It seems like the end of the world. But God is always there, and he will restore us. He longs to give us his joy.

 I think reading some scriptures about joy can really show us the way.

 "Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD: on their shoulders with the poles. Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with JOY accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. " 1 Chronicles 15:17-17

 The Israelites were filled with JOY, because the ark was coming back to Jerusalem, in the proper way. They celebrated the symbol of the presence of God. God is always with us - so we should celebrate with joy.

 "Splendor and majesty are before Him;

strength and JOY are in His place. " 1 Chronicles 16:27

 Do you ever eat and drink with JOY before the Lord? They did when Solomon was made king.

"They ate and drank with great JOY in the LORD’s presence that day. " 1 Chronicles 29:22 

The dedication and the Passover - these were the remnant, the exiles of Israel, God's chosen people who had fallen over and over and disobeyed God. But then, they obeyed, and God blessed them with JOY.

 "Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with JOY" Ezra 6:16

 "The whole community that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous JOY." Neh. 8:17

 Even the trees of the field will shout for JOY "Then the trees of the forest will shout for JOY before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth." 1 Chron. 16:33

 Even Job, a man God let Satan torture says this:

 "He will pray to God, and God will delight in him. That man will see His face with a shout of JOY, and God will restore his righteousness to him." Job 33:26.

 "The Bible is just filled with the JOY of the Lord. Isa. 29:19 "The humble will have JOY after JOY in the LORD, and the poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."

 Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. I know you will not be disappointed! JOY sometimes seems fleeting, but our if our JOY is based on following close to Jesus, I promise, it will return, and whatever you have suffered, God will bring good out of it.