Strength and Joy
Would having strength and joy help you to endure?
Verse of the Day
“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.”
Today’s Devotional
This verse comes from a song of King David as he is bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. David has seen the “gods” of the other nations. He has seen that they were merely wood or stone or metal. He saw that they had no power. He also saw Uzzah die instantly when he touched the Ark. David knows that God is the Creator and He is powerful.
When God’s Ark is finally being put in a special place of honor, it is a cause for celebration. When God finally sits on the throne of my heart, it is cause for celebration. If there is strength and joy in God’s dwelling place, and I am now God’s dwelling place (Galatians 2:20), then God’s strength and joy live in me. And you.
Have you ever had something in your home that you didn’t know was there? I can’t tell you how many times I have needed an item, gone to the store to buy that item, then within the next day or two I discover that I already had what I needed at home – making the effort and expense unnecessary. How many times do we do that same thing with God? We are looking for comfort, and instead of calling on God we go out into the world to look for it in the wrong places. We had what we needed within us all along. Psalms 119:76 says, “Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.”
I struggle with strength more than joy. But if I believe what God says, then I have the strength and joy of God within me. I believe that in those moments of struggle in feeling like I am lacking either of those, I have a choice. I can choose to call upon God for strength and joy, or I can choose to not call upon God and try to get through it alone. And sometimes I think I just forget to ask God for help. So my prayer today is that I will remember Who God is, and that I always need His help. In every moment. I always have His strength and joy available to me. Sometimes it is evident, sometimes I need to ask to be reminded. In those moments when I am just spinning my wheels, I need to remember to stop and realize that I am the dwelling place of God’s strength and joy. And just like my physical home needs to be cleaned, perhaps my spiritual house needs to be cleaned up.
In looking at today’s verse, I believe that I can clean my spiritual house with praise. By taking the time to reflect upon the splendor and majesty of God. And choosing gratitude that God has chosen to make His dwelling place within me. As I do that, I will be reminded that God’s strength and joy are within me, whether I feel it or not. And if I possess God’s strength and joy, then enduring the difficulties of this life will become possible the more and more I base my attitude and actions on God’s truth.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Do you need to ask God today for His joy? Or His strength?
Are there “gods” in your life that need to be toppled – like fear, insecurity, or pride?
Ask God today to assume His rightful place on the throne of your heart.
Take the time to write out your thoughts about God’s splendor and majesty.