The Joy Of The Lord

"......the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10b, KJV). Every morning, David and I pray that we will be a good witness to our co-workers, family, friends, and strangers we meet during the day. We make a conscious effort to reflect the joy of our indwelling Lord so that it will glow on our very being. Sometimes, it is not easy to do so, especially when you are working with people who seem always want to test your nerve, or when the deadline is always approaching. While it is true that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, it is also true that the reflection of that joy is our responsibility. Just like the words of an anonymous poem:
"If you live close to God
And His infinite grace,
You don't have to tell;
It shows on your face."

I liked Bob's message about the narrow gate on Sunday. Saying it is not enough, you have to do it; doing it is not enough, you have to mean it. When you mean it, others can feel it. David and his reader talked about"what is the most important quality a person can have" on Sunday. His reader thought it was confidence. I never heard anyone rated confidence as number one quality before. Now I have to think about it. Yes, confidence is important. But where does your confidence come from? If it comes from your own strength, it is still limited. But if it comes from the strength of God, it will be unlimited. Since the joy of the Lord is your strength, it makes sense that God brings joy; joy brings strength; strength brings confidence. Aha! If he reasoned further, he would have changed his conclusion to the joy of the Lord!

I saw someone selling baby's used books on Craigslist: 140+ for $60. That was not a bad price. David picked them up and brought home a box of children's books. I hope our baby will enjoy these books later!