The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

I wrote this for our Time to Revive email communications last week and thought I would love to share it with others as well!  Enjoy!

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

Joy is all I can think about today...and for many days leading up to this day. Today was joyful in that we didn’t travel in blizzard conditions, I got to have great conversations with coworkers, I was able to hug some great friends from Arizona and North Dakota and I didn’t wear a jacket all day (not even in ND!). JOY!

But seriously, for the past few months the Holy Spirit has had me focused on this little song. “The joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength...”

It all started in Devils Lake too, the first time I had heard this song, if ever, was on Day 6 of prayDEVILS Lake (Click here to see Gloria (Kyle’s Mom) sing it - Love it!). And my roommates, friends and coworkers can also tell you, I haven’t been able to shake this little saying and song, it just keeps popping up!

I can’t shake how gracious the Lord is to me. He gives me strength whenever and wherever I need it and His love NEVER FAILS! (Psalm 136).

The Lord was so good to me in Seattle, He gave me unending joy, so much so, that I remember saying to Emilee that I couldn’t explain it. He gave it to me even when I should not have felt joy, when I didn’t deserve it. His joy abounded. And in return I give thanks, glorious thanks.

And that’s what we got to see tonight. God’s joy arcing from Seattle to Devils Lake. As Gary talked tonight, when Jesus sent out the seventy-two, they went in obedience to the Lord. Jesus did not promise it would be easy, in fact He stated just the opposite, you will be sent “out like lambs among wolves”Luke 10:3. As Gary said tonight imagine being a little lamb in a pack of wolves, not a fun picture!

Now we didn’t tell that to Pastor Les, Kim, Jessica, Andy, Vanessa or Michelle when they signed up for reviveSEATTLE, it’s just not a cool tag line for a mission trip. And in fact it may be a little harsh to describe how these North Dakotans felt when they arrived in Seattle, but truth is it was hard. It was hard because it was different, because it was a new city, because it was stretching and each one went knowing it would not be easy.

They trusted the Lord, they held onto His promises and they returned with joy. Just like it says in Luke 10: 17 - “The seventy-two returned with joy.” And tonight we got to share in that joy. We got to see how the Lord worked in and through each of them in Seattle and how he’s continuing to do that as they are obedient to be sent out.

And now that same joy is multiplying in Seattle and in Devils Lake! You too can get in on that joy just by allowing the Lord to be your strength and joining us...whether you are reading this from Seattle or Devils Lake - it’s not too late, come...let the joy of the Lord be your strength.

Kristi

Check out the video that accompanied this writing too: