A new year of joy

The year 2009 hasn't started off very well for many people. Jobs, houses, relationships, children, health -- each seems to be under attack by forces beyond our control. Where do we find joy when the outlook seems so gloomy?

Imagine living in exile thousands of miles from home. A reprieve comes from the central government that you can go back--all expenses paid! There's just one catch. When you arrive you learn that the old hometown has been laid waste by marauders and bandits. There is nothing left to show you ever lived there. Even worse, the helpers you brought with you are so discouraged they want to give up the project completely.

This is the situation that Nehemiah faced when he arrived in Jerusalem from Babylon about 400 years before Christ. Rather than listen to the "doom and gloom" around him, Nehemiah made a decision to move forward. He encouraged his helpers with the words: "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" He chose to find strength in the unchanging Almighty God, not the changeable situation around him.

That can be our encouragement today as well: The joy of the Lord is my strength!