Joy of the Lord!

There are many things that I have seen Christians struggle with over the
years, and two of them are the "Fear" and the "Joy" of the Lord. If we
truly feared the Lord, our world would be different. *Prov 9:10 The
[reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as
truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its
starting point and its essence]...* There is a battle that rages inside
many believers because of the desire to be "Christian", to be
"Christ-like". For many, we justify our sin because it does not "cross the
line" as to becoming completely disqualified and is not as bad as others or
as we use to be. Then, because of our sin, we cannot truly embrace the
"Joy" of the Lord because of our shame. Joy comes by abiding in Christ,
following after His example, and living a life that pleases Him. Joy comes
from an attitude of gratitude, to the One who gives us strength to overcome
our weaknesses and protect us in His stronghold. Brethren, we will never
sin-less until we get to heaven, but we are called to sin less. Today, may
we reflect upon, *Neh 8:10...for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not
be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.*

Douglas