(Nehemiah 8:10) - "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 our Lord: neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
There is a tremendous difference between being joyful and being happy. When a person is happy they are expressing an emotion based upon outward circumstances. When a person is joyful they are expressing an emotion based on what their heart knows is true, in spite of what their circumstances try to dictate to them.
It is the joy of the Lord that takes us through and gets us through our troubled times. The joy that God gives to us gives us a strength that is greater and bigger than our problems.
As God's child, our problems and trials of life can and does affect our happiness. But they cannot depleat our joy in God. Not one time in scripture does God promise us a life with no difficulties, but He does promise us that in the midst of our difficulties His joy would take us through.
You may be experiencing difficult times even as you read these words. My encourage-ment to you is to keep your eyes on the Lord, stand upon the promises of His Word, and by doing so, you'll experience the joy of the Lord as you stand upon the promises of His Word, and apply them to your life.
If for some reason your joy has been lost through sin or some other means, you have the promise that when you get in God's presence your joy will be restored. Psalms 16:11 states that "In Thy presence is fullness of joy."
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