Most Christians can tell you that God is love. They understand that in His very nature, He is more than a God who loves, He IS the definition of love. This same line of thinking about God can be applied to His joy. He is joy. His very essence is joy. Augustine said, “Following after God is the desire of happiness; to reach God is happiness itself.”

Most children are sensitive to their parents’ moods. When mom or dad isn’t happy, most of the time, this affects the mood of the rest of the family. Parents help to set the tone of their homes. A mom’s joyful disposition can bring joy into her home. The same is true of other environments, such as teachers and their classrooms or managers and their workplaces. Many Christians struggle with knowing joy because they feel as though the “mood” of their Heavenly Father is one of unhappiness with them. 

When Nehemiah wrote, “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” he revealed that God is a God of joy. As Christians, we need a right theology about the joy of the Lord over us. Zephaniah 3:17 says that God takes great “delight” in us and that He “rejoices” over us with singing. Psalm 147:11 states, “The Lord takes ‘pleasure’ in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.” God is not fickle, and He does not have mood swings. We do not have to walk on eggshells before the Lord. His joy is constant because He is joy in Himself. 

This is why I can say that the joy of the Lord truly is my strength. I don’t have to go looking for joy outside of my relationship with God. In Christ, I have the joy of the Lord in me. The strength I need to face any situation is found in the joy the Lord has over me and gives to me. Instead of striving for joy or searching for joy, I can rest in the assurance that God has already shared His joy with me through His Son, Jesus, living in me.