Joy That Strengthens Us

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

I have struggled with depression for most of my adult life.  

I didn't fully understand what I was feeling at first when the symptoms became too acute to ignore.  I would describe it as "feeling blue," or just say I needed a "basement day," to sleep or binge-watch television.  

After my mom passed away several years ago, my struggle intensified, so I hired a therapist.  

During one of our sessions, she asked me how I was feeling, and I told her I didn't feel like getting out of bed in the morning. I summoned just enough energy to do the things I had to do, but had little left afterward.  I felt numb, walking around like a zombie. 

And then I remember saying to her, "It's like the complete absence of joy."  

Thanks be to God, I've been able to do enough therapy and was also prescribed the proper medication to help me cope with the chronic symptoms of depression.  

I've also rediscovered my sense of joy, which I never realized was such an incredible part of my life and wellness.  

We often treat joy as a bonus emotion—something welcome but unnecessary, pleasant but nonessential. But Scripture presents joy as strength, sustenance, and resilience. Joy is the deep current beneath faithful living—not loud or flashy, but steadying and empowering.

The people of Israel heard these words in Nehemiah’s day when their city was in ruins and their spirits were low. Tears flowed as they recognized their failures and feared their future. Yet Nehemiah’s message was startling: joy, not shame, would sustain them. The joy of God—not their enthusiasm, optimism, or effort—would be the source of renewal.

Advent teaches this same paradox. Joy enters where there is need: a poor couple traveling under imperial decree, shepherds laboring at night, wise men navigating uncertainty. Joy is not a reward for settled circumstances but the sustainer of weary hearts.

This joy is rooted in God’s delight—God’s joy over us, God’s pleasure in redeeming what is broken, God’s nearness that turns mourning toward dancing. Our circumstances may not feel joyful, but our God rejoices in restoring, in liberating, in redeeming. His joy strengthens us.

Where do you feel depleted? What burden drains your resolve? Joy does not deny exhaustion—it infuses us with the ability to endure it. Joy whispers, “There is more than what you see.” It reminds us that God is at work even when we are worn thin.

Mary drew strength not from certainty but from joy—“My soul magnifies the Lord.” The shepherds returned glorifying God after witnessing glory they did not expect. The Magi rejoiced with “exceeding great joy,” because their long journey had not been wasted.

This same joy strengthens you. Let it seep beneath your anxieties, your disappointments, your to-do lists, and your limitations. Joy is not noise—it is nourishment.

Receive it. Let God’s joy over you be your strength.

Prayer

God of deep joy, fill us with Your delight. Strengthen us where we are tired, discouraged, or afraid. Teach us to draw from joy not as a fleeting emotion but as a sustaining gift. May Your joy be the current that carries us through our waiting and our work. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life do you feel most depleted and in need of joy’s strength?

2. How does it change your understanding to think of joy as God’s delight over you rather than your effort to feel happy?

3. What practices help you receive joy rather than force it?