Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Happy Friday everybody. I am preparing to speak at the Chicago Lutheran Education Foundation, and the message that I’m getting the honor to bring to these folks is that joy is not optional. You know, the Scripture says that the joy of the Lord is my strength. Joy is constantly commanded throughout Scripture, but that verse really highlights for me the beauty of what joy is all about. It gives us strength for today.

And I pray that as you go into this weekend, you would experience that joy, Jesus Joy, the joy that’s not based on circumstances or the weather. Joy that is based on His eternal life that He has given to you. God’s blessings and go and share this with somebody else. By the way, Joy is highly contagious. So go ahead and spread it. God be with you this weekend.

Prayer
Lord, we thank You so much for the opportunity to know You and to experience You. We thank You for the salvation that You have given to us, and like the psalmist, we pray that this weekend You would restore to us the joy of Your salvation. And may that joy just really rub off onto all that we come into contact with so that they would know that You are the Lord of Life. We pray this now, in Jesus’ name, Amen.