Joy of the Lord is our strength.

That beautiful phrase, "the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10), is one of the most profound and paradoxical truths in Scripture. It suggests that our power comes not from grim determination, but from a deep, divinely-given delight.

Here is a poem exploring that source of strength.

---

The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength

The weight is heavy, the road is long,

The spirit weak,the night's sad song.

We search for strength in willpower's strain,

But find our efforts are in vain.

A different fountain we must drink,

A different way to truly think.

Not from a clenched fist,tight with fear,

But from a heart that knows You're near.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

It is not giddy, not a shallow cheer,

That disappears when trouble's near.

It is the deep,the solid rock,

That stands secure through every shock.

It is the gladness that we're known,

And loved completely,from God's throne.

It is the joy that saw the cross,

And counted all the world but loss.

The joy that rose up from the grave,

With boundless power,mighty to save.

This joy becomes a fortress wall,

A constant spring,through drought and fall.

When grief assails,and hopes grow dim,

Our strength isjoy we find in Him.

So let the weary soul rejoice,

Lift up your head,find your true voice.

Don't strive and struggle on your own,

But seek the joy before the throne.

For in His presence, full and sweet,

Is where the weary and defeated meet

A power that makes the broken whole,

The joy of the Lord will strengthen your soul.

"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

—Nehemiah 8:10